Gods
by cupcakeriot
Summary: Isabella never blended in but maybe it's because she is something far greater than human. Edward had trouble controlling his temper but maybe a girl with a frightening gift can tame him. Maybe they can save each other. OOC. Possible lemons.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: i do not own Twilight, nor any of the characters or locations mentioned in this chapter. however, the very imaginative city of Olympus that sits in the middle of the Pacific Ocean i _do_****own. i also own this nifty giant red silicone cake pan that is used to make rather large cupcakes. it's awesome. **_**  
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><p><em><strong>Summary:<strong>__ Isabella never blended in but maybe it's because she is something far greater than human. Edward had trouble controlling his temper but maybe a girl with a frightening gift can tame him. Maybe they can save each other. OCC. Possible lemons._

_**Rating**__: M_

_**Categories**__: Supernatural and Romance_

_**Characters**__: Bella and Edward_

_**Language**__: English_

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><p><strong>preface<strong>

I have often found that astoundingly bright colors are aggravating to my eyes. When I am painting, I find myself replacing lemon yellow with a golden ocher, brilliant red with its muted crimson partner. I've always preferred a duller reality.

I've always craved, though, a twist in the monotone norm.

Growing up, I knew I was different from my family. As a small child, it was obtuse things, like how their eyes were much darker than mine, a different hue of hair. As I learned and developed, I noticed more acute things; hairline, eye shape, stature, sickness.

There were times in my younger life when rather strange things happened. Times when my hands felt ice cold, frozen from bones to skin. Times when those cold hands were warmed by withered plants. Times when I stared in horror at the faint silvery glow of my nails as a wilted and blackened flower lay in my numbed hands. Times when I knew without a shadow of doubt that I was very different from my classmates, my family.

Physically, I'd always been on the petite side, slender with full curves, delicate hands and small feet, wide eyes and snow pale skin. Even in pictures of my childhood, I remained with the same features, my eyes perhaps a bit larger on my smaller self.

Other children had changing features, a certain development in them to make their faces and bodies show age. I was horrifyingly flawless, too unchanging. It seemed as if I aged slower when I hit puberty, even though I came to that late as well.

What had always been with me, as I wandered through the years, was a faint emptiness - a hollow portion in my chest, a void left unfilled. The place where my heart beat too slow seemed to be missing, as if the components that made my person were missing a gear, a bolt.

The twist in the monotone, the filler of the void was mind blowing - something I'd have never suspected or imagined.

And it was the gift of Zeus that eternally changed me.

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><p><strong>chapter one<strong>

_"Look down on me, you will see a fool. Look up at me, you will see your Lord. Look straight at me, you will see yourself."_

_Charles Manson_

_Isabella_

I find it hard to care about much these days. In fact, the only thing I care about is why I don't care about anything. I sit in a crowded classroom of chattering teenagers, ignoring their senseless words. Boys curse and girls giggle while my ever-present headache pulses.

The first time I realized I wasn't exactly normal was in seventh grade. Most other girls wasted their time crushing on cute boys, painting their nails bubble gum pink - a sickening color, might I add - and reading magazines three years too old for them. I sat in quiet corners with a sketchbook and permanently charcoal stained fingers.

There were boys who would stare at me when I was that age - boys who now knew to ignore me and my blank stare.

But it wasn't the differences between myself and those I now deemed "normal" that convinced me of my own strangeness. No, it was, at first, the strange dreams; dreams that grew stranger every year I aged. Foggy dreams in which three cloaked women spun silver threads of my life and a boy with a fiery halo of hair made the strands gold. The dreams morphed to times and places with the boy and strange creatures and worlds in places humans simply wouldn't be able to survive.

The dreams sparked some hidden part of my mind - a part where a full and focused history of beings I'd previously thought mythical were live and true. It was frightening, waking to fading vague images of Greek tales and feeling a pull in the very core of my being to…be in those dreams.

I almost constantly felt as if I was walking a border between fantasy and reality, wondering which one would draw me into its grasp.

"You don't belong here,"

My head snapped up, startled by the unique water-smooth feminine voice to my right. The girl leaning on the wall next to my desk was the embodiment of water - of ocean and deep lakes. Chic short jet black hair cut to just under her ears, held away from the other side by a delicate coin-dollar sized silver web-spun seashell, silvery earrings dangling with tiny aquamarine stones. Creamy, just barely sun-kissed skin swathed in a chic navy blue knit scarf, tailored white suede winter coat, grey skinny jeans and blue patent leather ankle boots. My eyes were drawn to the silver chain sternum-length amulet holding a quarter sized aquamarine.

It was her eyes though, that truly made her different from the graceless children around her, though she couldn't have been more than two years older than them, us. At first glance, they appeared to be an intense cobalt blue - but as my eyes came back to them, the color swelled, grew deeper to almost blueberry then back again, swimming past cobalt and fading into a icy blue.

Her eyes flicked across the room, sometimes settling on children, other times seeming to pass over their forms, as if they were invisible. "No, you're much different from them."

My brows furrowed, my own eyes darting from faces, and I immediately wondered why I appeared to be the only one who heard her. She spoke fluently and loud enough to be heard. And her mere presence was enough to draw attention - but all heads were turned the other direction.

Like her being there made both of us invisible.

"Why can't they-"

"Mortals," she said dryly. "They're so…blind."

The register in her voice was bored, almost empathetic to a point that my mind picked up on the words lying under her speech.

They were mortals, she was not. And apparently, neither was I.

Her name was Alice - she offered no last name, as if she didn't have one or didn't care to remember it. Like it was a name she abandoned quite a while ago.

My following her was unusual for me, the curiosity shocking. I'd been happy enough to muddle through whatever life I was living, with the dreams and strange hands and jaded social life. I was content enough.

So my almost eager acceptance of Alice was abnormal to say in the least. She lead us through the high school, paying no mind to the crowded hallway. In fact, the students - who still did not look at her or me, for that matter - parted down the middle in avoidance, in unconscious submission.

It was strange - almost too strange - and it coincided with my vivid dreams too well. Their kind - our kind - were avoided.

I had always assumed the avoidance was due to some danger we posed but it was abundantly clear, now, that the nervous glances were the product of class superiority. Bluntly, we were exuding a power that was intimidating.

The new awareness of this made me particularly nervous, my hands growing colder as I stuffed them in my pockets.

Alice glanced back at me, her eyes on my hidden hands. "They did say something about that…" she mumbled to herself.

I blanched, my eyes widening slightly in utter disbelief. "Who are _they_?"

She shrugged and nonchalantly said "The Fates, of course."

My dreams slammed back into my mind, fragments of mythology falling into place. This was real.

Too real for me.

By now, Alice had lead me to the tiny shed behind the gymnasium of my Forks, Washington high school - and as I paused, stunned by the sudden gush of information flooding through me, she continued on into the thick trees, designer boots crushing the undergrowth. It wasn't until the weight of my body leaning against the battered and spray painted shack caused the metal creak did she look back.

"Your afraid," she stated. I began to notice a pattern in Alice; she mostly spoke in statements. She had no questions…and reminded me of someone I don't remember. Someone no quite tangible but so palpable in my mind that he existed.

Not able to find my voice, I nod.

"That's to be expected. But you don't belong here. You're a daughter of…well, you'll find out soon." A mysterious smile streaked across her face, secrets dancing behind her pulsing blue eyes. Alice took a step towards me and reached out her hand, beckoning me forward much like a mother would to a small child.

Soon I found myself walking slightly behind her through the dense forest; she followed an invisible trail, our footsteps twisting and turning in circles I didn't understand. I was almost certain we were lost several times, and each time Alice shook her head and sped up, ducking under one branch or another without pause.

And though Alice seemed comfortable enough in this forest I had no idea existed, there was a subtle uncertainty in her movements and breathing - something I had vaguely noticed while still inside the school. She seemed like a fish out of water. Or a water nymph stuck in a forest full of wood nymphs - even a mermaid on new legs.

I realized belatedly that I was most likely dead on in my observations. It was a sobering thought.

Out of the blue, Alice stepped forward and disappeared behind a huge sprawling tree. After a few too-quiet seconds, her head popped out of the trunk of the tree. "Hurry up," she said before disappearing again.

The rough exterior of the tree shimmered slightly, easily missed if one didn't know what they were looking for. Tentatively, I reached my hand out, my cold fingertips brushing against…nothing.

My eyes widened as I stepped forward. It was like passing through air. I paused in between the portal, the forest behind me and a sprawling chrome and steel city ahead of me. I thought briefly of my family beyond the forest; the only family I'd ever known that, unbelievably, isn't truly my family. The mother who tried to force me into pinks, the father who glanced at me with indifference. I'd always known subconsciously that parents were supposed to care about the child, not what they wished about the child.

Taking another step through the portal, the air shimmering behind me, I don't think again of the family that was never mine.

Alice is a maze leader. Like in the forest, she winds us through thin alleys and bustling streets. The people here are gorgeous - every single one of them could top a model in a fashion magazine.

There were several different types of areas too, and I hadn't even seen most of what I assume to be the largest city of this land. The spotless glass of the shining buildings gleam in the high sun, a star that seemed so much closer to the one I was used to seeing.

As Alice lead me through the urban maze, never once looking back, I noticed four very distinct districts. It reminded me of European cities I learned about in school - how the cities were divided into sections, like the Red Light districts of Tokyo and Copenhagen.

The first one, the one we entered through - via portal hidden in a grey brick alley - reminded me of Alice. Along the sidewalks, tiny streams of silver-blue water ran inside the cement, in the shops, little oceans were stored in the walls. The workers mostly had blue eyes, dark hair, silver accents on their clothes.

The next flowed seamlessly from the first, little rivets of electricity weaving through concrete and steel buildings. Here, the people seemed almost arrogant, their eyes varying widely in color.

Alice walked faster through the third district, her hand reaching behind to grasp mine. The non-living parts of this section had no one character - rather it seemed to be a mix of several backgrounds. It was reminiscent of the melting pots of each large city, somehow like China Town meeting Little Italy and so forth. The people, too, varied - here they also seemed more…human.

My companion relaxed again when we entered the last district. My heart hammered wildly in my chest, my eyes greedily drinking in the foggy sidewalk, the supernova lantern lights, the ancient coins infused in the cement and chrome and steel. I felt, for the first time in my life, at home. It was astonishing, to say the least.

"Where are we?" I murmured, not truly searching for the answer.

Alice, though, looked at me with a raised brow. "The Death district, the district of Pluto, Underworld's Gates," she paused, seemingly arguing with herself before continuing in a quiet, wise voice. "The district of Hades."

She had anticipated my dumbfounded silence, leading me again to what appeared to be the outskirts of Hades' district. It was too large to wrap my mind fully around, though I knew that I would have to get used to it.

This was who I was now.

The building she stopped at was a bit run down for the fantastical city - non descript, not distinctive save for the very fact that it could be overlooked.

"I won't be going in," Alice states with a hint of distress in her voice. "But I will see you soon, cousin."

And with that, she's gone, seemingly evaporated into the air. I stand in front of the building blankly until I hear the low screech of the metal door being forced open.

The boy looking at me needs a shower, greasy hair hanging in his face. He gives me the creeps - the way his eyes roam over me makes me shudder in revulsion. "Well, come on in, little girl."

I feel my face tense in an expression not new to me; anger, annoyance, numb acceptance. I follow him without a word, speechless to my new surroundings.

What have I gotten into?

_Edward_

"Again," Jasper shouts from the side of the dull black mat. His smug encouraging face is irritating me, fueling my swelling rage - I react just as he wants me to.

"You're one sadistic son of a bitch," I spit out at him, my words dripping with annoyance. I wipe the back of my hand across my forehead, feeling my hair sticking to my skin. The tape stretches tightly across my knuckles as I flex my hands, forming loose fists again, my arms and torso burning from the intense warm-up. I lunge towards the immobile sack of sand suspended from the steel supports in the ceiling; the feel of my hand sinking into the leather is strangely satisfying.

Jasper moves behind the punching bag, bracing it so it doesn't move when I work from simple rhythm punches to kick and step patterns. My feet are constantly moving, the tape wrapped around the soles wearing thin and needing to be replenished. I breath out with every movement of my body, remaining in control.

That is, until Jasper loses his focus, his eyes widening in shock, brows furrowed in confusion.

"The fuck, man?"

Wordless, he tips his chin to something behind me, green eyes darting between me and something else. I turn my head, scowl in place and glare fixed on my face.

Mike, a sleazy son of Hermes, is leading a girl towards the back office - a large conference room where the big players typically meet up. His expression is victorious, sneering and making my mind rage. He is in no place to hold that kind of arrogance.

I know instantly she doesn't belong here of all places - no, she looks like she'd be content in a dark, quiet room not an underground gym filled with hulking males, their eyes following her with preying observance.

She's incredibly thin, dressed in skin-tight dark jeans, a tiny black shirt that leaves a sliver of her pale stomach showing and leather motorcycle boots. Even though she can't weigh more than a hundred pounds, her hips are curvy, her chest full - a perfect figure of milky skin, tiny bones. My eyes roam up from her body to her face and I swear my heart stops beating for a second.

As she turns her head, nodding to Mike, I become distracted by her perfect profile, her sloping nose and pouting pink lips. From this distance, I can't get a good glimpse of her eyes and I am immediately jealous of anybody who can see them.

Without thinking, I make a move, a slight shift it my weight, to approach her and am rebuffed by Jasper, who grabs a rough hold on my shoulder. He says something low in my ear that I don't understand, as I am too distracted by the enticing creature who is now leaving the room.

Slowly, the others in the room resume their work outs. I am only now catching my breath - clearly she only affected me this deeply, even though she distracted anybody with a Y chromosome. I have the sense that she doesn't perceive her presence as anything special.

"Who was that?" I demand in a whisper. Something inside me, something that had always been an empty void, tugs in her direction, trying to prompt my feet to move. I am frozen though, my thoughts swimming.

_I want her._

It's a singular phrase repeating over and over again and the truth of it rings even in my mind.

Jasper's grip on my shoulder tightens as he speaks. "She's a new-"

"Who's?"

"I'm not sure."

"How do you know about her?" I demand. I'm craving information like an addict.

"It's her time."

Jasper doesn't have to say anymore. We all know what the "time" is; when our true powers and lives begin. It's typically a stressful time as, every fucking century, if there is a stronger child born than the last heir, the youngest takes over. It was a vicious cycle that fueled competition between siblings.

I feel my jaw flex as I fight off the tug in chest and instead turn my back to the hallway she disappeared to, pushing all my energy into breaking in the leather of the punching bag. The second punch I throw is too hard and I feel my tendons tense painfully.

"Shit," I hiss, shaking my arm out.

Jasper stares at me blankly, silently watching as I begin a desperate tangent of sputtering curses.

The underground gym was my outlet, a necessity to hash out the chaos in flowing through my veins. The physical exhaustion was enough to ground me to the earth, save me from storming to my fathers Olympus throne. He was a demanding bastard that I was unfortunately a spawn of.

The pain receded to a level I was comfortable with, my immortal body healing rapidly to accommodate my need, my anger. My annoyance at not knowing who she was is at the forefront of my mind.

_I want her._

Immediately, before Jasper can stop me, I am moving towards her hallway, rushing in the poor lighting. Caged lamps hang from the ceiling in precise measurements apart; they swing as I quickly make my way to the back office.

The chipped metal door is partially open, giving me a clear view of her pale profile as she listens to the grumbling voices, their cadence deep and too harsh for her presence.

I'm shocked when I hear my fathers voice, arguing loudly at something someone has unwisely said.

"She's a mere female!"

"And a daughter of Ha-"

"That's of no consequence, Hermes!"

My brows furrow in confusion, my eyes again seeking her face. The pale skin is slowly becoming a flushed pink, from anger or embarrassment I'm not sure.

I knew, though, what they were arguing about. It was exceedingly rare for a female to be born in these modern centuries. Too many mortal affairs had led to a small community of immortals, our genes weakening from reuse though we were still the more powerful race. The primary disagreement here was a doubt of her authenticity - was she a true God or a half mortal, a Demi-God?

Her lips pressed together tightly, her hands clenching into tiny fists. I was momentarily distracted by her docile bone structure. No, she didn't belong here.

Poseidon leaned forward, his icy blue eyes flashing dangerously. "If I recall, we've had this argument before over my own daughter, Alice." There is a subtle power in his voice, so different from my own father who wore his strength on his sleeve. "Why don't we test her?"

"There is nothing we can test with! If her supposed powers are true, she could kill anyone of us."

Involuntarily, a shiver raced down my spine. What gift did this small girl have that put that fucking amount of fear in a God the caliber of Apollo?

I watched fascinated as the girl stood up sharply to her full height, hands slapping down on the table. Her voice, while extremely quiet and toneless, was soft and feminine.

"What good would it do me to kill any one of you?"

Nobody had an answer to her rhetoric question - intense silence filled the dirty office, except for the shuffling of nervous feet.

Again, the thought went through my head. _I want her_.

The men around her were speechless; it became very apparent to me that they had not clued her in on the discussion. Instead, she'd figured it out on her own.

Finally, Zeus spoke from his chair at the head of a black shined table. "Enroll her in the Academy," he said with a wave of his hand. Excitement shot through me and faded when I saw the malicious glint in his eye. "Set her up for the Arena, too."

My stomach dropped and my fists clenched at my sides, the revolving thought in my head replaced by a new one.

_What was Zeus planning?_

"I don't…fucking understand!"

I was frustrated, in more ways than one, though I could control one frustration enough to concentrate on the other. Even though my parents, hell my family, were immortal, we still had more physical frustrations.

What I was most irritated by was the unanswered question of what the hell was going on in the meeting I overheard today. I understood their concerns - they always said the same shit every time a female was proposed for heir - but assigning her to the Arena was unheard of.

Fucking literally unheard of.

The Arena was originally built to train and tame young males and eventually grew to be the Olympus version of ring fighting, although more intense. A fight could virtually never end for our people because we continued to heal at a rapid rate.

Personally, I had…slight anger issues. Between the two of us, Jasper was the laid back one and I was the more violate one. The proof was fucking obvious as I was the reigning champion of the ring.

At the moment, though, I was pacing quickly across the locker room while Jasper leaned lazily against the chipped metal.

"What's to understand?" he questioned. I rolled my eyes at him, throwing a glare in his general direction. "They're just testing her."

I threw my hands in the air. "That's just it! Why? They didn't test Alice like that, or any of the other females!"

On cue, his face lit up like a fucking human Christmas tree at the mere mention of Alice's name - it was no secret between us that he was sweet on the daughter of Poseidon.

Quickly, he cleared his throat. "You said they said something about her powers?"

I nodded yet again. We'd spent the last three hours going over every fucking detail of the angry conversation between some of the most powerful Olympian Gods. The fact that she had to sit in there, not knowing what was really going on and listen to them speak about her boiled by blood.

"Maybe that's why then," Jasper offered. I paused in my furious gait - it would explain at least something about what I heard. But she was so tiny, at least a foot shorter than me; her head probably came up a few inches below my shoulder.

Still, the explanation was enough for me to calm down. My energy had been messing with the poor lighting of the Arena, anyway.

As my heartbeat slowed, I sat down heavily on the ground, leaning against a metal bench in the center of the room.

My mind flashed to the image of her again - her face was burned into my brain. I never saw her eyes and there was an intense need that I couldn't get over.

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><p><strong>AN: so...first fanfiction. or, i should say, first story of mine converted into a fanfiction for someone - anyone - to read. needless to say, be brutally honest. i can take it.**

**~cupcakeriot**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: i do not own Twilight, at all. i do own sprinkles which i did, in fact, use to put on my gigantic cupcake. yes, it was delicious.**

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><p><strong>chapter two<strong>

_"Tell the truth."_

_-Stephen King_

_Isabella_

I'd read a book, once, for an English assignment; it was a colossal failure save for the detail that the Greek Gods were depicted literally as figures larger than lives. They were huge beings, gargantuan heroes 10 feet tall with roguish features.

That author was wrong.

As I sit and listen to several handsome and powerful men discuss me as if I wasn't there, I catalogue their perfect features; perfect faces, perfect hair, perfect height. The part of me that grew up in the human world was self-conscious of this perfection but realized I had no reason to be.

I was just like them. Only I was smaller, more delicate, more feminine.

The table was once a deep forest green but time had chipped away the paint, revealing rust colored metal and dents from movement and use. At what I presumed to be the head of the table was a man with arrogant features, brows furrowed and eyes glaring in contempt at those arguing with him.

This man was called Zeus and I knew, from studies in mythology, of him; his scandalous ways, his mistresses and illegitimate children. Looking at his demeanor, I have no idea what the women were thinking when they jumped into bed with him. He was, simply, a jerk.

Beside him was a soft spoken man with a lilt in his voice that reminded me of Alice - as did his changing blue eyes. He and Alice looked so much alike, it was uncanny and when he mentioned that this argument had been had over Alice, I knew he was Poseidon.

I began putting together their words and Alice's words earlier and came to a halting conclusion just as an observation was made about my supposed power.

I knew what they were referring to and I dreaded the prospect of demonstrating that particular talent. In the past, when I was much younger, I had no way of controlling it; possibly thousands of plants died at my hands, miniscule amounts of energy leaking into me. Several years later and it still scared me but I was able to detect when it would happen.

I shuddered delicately at the thought of being forced to display the horrifying gift. Curse. It was a curse.

Again, I focused on the loud discussion, trying not to let my mind stray to where I had come to the conclusion of my real father.

Hades. I was a daughter of the Underworld.

At this, I got angry; the accusations being thrown around, the glares and lusty looks and pointing fingers. I stood up, slapping my hands on the creaking metal table; the sound echoed loudly and quieted the entire room of testosterone filled males.

"What good would it do me to kill any one of you?" I asked quietly, my monotone normal and numb.

It was the question that had been rolling around in my subconscious. Why would they think I'd intentionally harm them?

It dawned on me that maybe - just maybe - they hadn't seen this kind of power before, except for possibly in Hades. There was a slight chance that I was too much like him.

A firm thought crept into my mind. _I needed to meet him, my father_.

The meeting ended with Zeus assigning days for me to be here, at the Arena, doing hell knows what to prepare for a test they had planned for me.

A rare nervous sensation settled over my body.

This wasn't going to be good.

At some point, the Arena probably was immaculate, much like the rest of the unknown city of Olympus. I'd attempted to figure out how the portal was set up and could only come to the conclusion that a large portion of the Pacific ocean was not real. I was almost certain that some magic from some Olympian God kept the entire sprawling city hidden.

The Arena was darker than it was before as most of the men who were using the facilities had left. Unlike human gyms, this one didn't carry the subtle stench of sweat; instead there was an almost freshness in the air. It was a startling difference that only served to highlight the differences in both races.

Behind me, I hear the heavy clank of a door closing. The air in the room seems to change, almost familiar static clinging to atoms happily. I feel more relaxed instantly.

A throat clears hesitantly and I turn, taking in a very tall man with closely cropped white blond hair, paper pale skin and almost white eyes - they grey is so washed out, I can barely distinguish the difference in hue of his iris and the white of his eyes.

"Isabella," he sighs happily, a huge boyish grin taking over his European features. Everything about him screams power, even the sharp slope of his nose, the subtle roughness of his fingers. He wears simple jeans, boots and a pull-over hoodie; he doesn't look a day over twenty-five, much like his brothers who had just decided my fate.

Of course the immortals would be timeless.

He takes a step forward, arms spread, an onyx ring glinting shyly on his left hand.

My mind recognizes him as does my heart. Hades. My father.

It hit me so suddenly - this fact that I'd become aware of but didn't truly understand until now. He's not human. I'm not human.

We're something other.

How could I have walked through the city, gone through a portal hidden inside a _tree _and only now truly grasped this? It's mind boggling and I become light headed at the weight of the thought.

Hades seems to realize this as he drops his arms and adjust his smile to one of sympathy. "It's a lot to take in."

Again, not a question, but a statement with no insecure questions attached. I can only nod.

It is a lot to take in…but not impossible.

Hades doesn't stay long; a phone call with a shrill voice at the other end makes sure that he leaves only ten minuets after arriving. But in that small time frame, he explained why he wasn't at the meeting.

"You are my potential heir. My opinion does not matter at this point."

While I understood the concept of checked counsel ruling, I didn't understand why I was being sent here, to the Arena. I'd seen some of the guys earlier; they were huge with testosterone, salivating over the one female who was present. I was uncomfortable at best.

I had followed Hades out of the Arena, a strange paranoia of eyes following me although the building appeared vacated. The street was equally deserted; free from pollution, bodies and noise. A sharp endless wind was my company as I wandered through the lifeless streets.

This hidden city was so familiar to me - and although I knew I was lost, I also knew I wouldn't stay lost.

I began to notice subtle differences between human cities and the city I am walking through. There is a stark absence of fire hydrants, crosswalks, traffic signs, street names. Only a handful of cars littered the streets; maybe one or two on each road.

Human cities would be unable to function without these things. I was faintly curious as to how this city thrived, but more important things were clouding my mind.

"It must be different for you," Alice said from behind me. My body jumped, startled, even as my mind accepted the fact that I wouldn't ever know if someone was watching me or not. Even though Alice had revealed herself, the heavy weight of eyes on my body still suffocated me.

"Not too different."

Alice hummed under her breath, a small smile playing on her face before she unleashed her grin. "You will be staying with me in Poseidon's realm until your city housing has been completed."

"City housing?"

She titled her head and nodded. "Of course. Dorm housing for the Academy does not open until the winter solstice." At my obviously confused expression, she sighed and frowned. "They did not tell you."

"They didn't tell me much."

Alice gracefully weaved her way through the Death district to the Aquatic, all the while filling me in on the small details that I hadn't learned from the meeting.

The city was Olympus and spanned throughout the entire Ring of Fire over the Pacific ocean. The way the portal worked was sketchy to Alice and she was unable to tell me exactly how it works, only that it was a trick Hephaestus was able to rig up some seventeen hundred years ago. Several other portals were located across the world, on the edge of the Pacific.

Geographically, the city was in the epicenter of the Pacific ocean, with the main three Gods ruling over the majority of land as well as their districts. Olympus sprawled outwards into country land ruled over by Artemis, Persephone and Demeter.

It was in this country that the Academy was stationed.

Alice didn't speak much about the Academy, only that it was huge and ancient.

Poseidon's realm - the Aquatic district and various other water related names - was free of the bone-chilling wind that accompanied the outskirts of the Death district. Alice eluded that the wind was from the part of the city Zeus controlled; she had quietly informed me that often the weather in the different districts is based on the emotions of the Gods ruling over the section.

I was momentarily shocked that I was to be in the presence of beings who could control the weather. After a moment of thought, I realized that I, with my terrifying gift, was perhaps more powerful than those who were able to have authority over the land.

"This is it," Alice says as she stops in front of the largest building in Poseidon's district - it's sleek and looming, rivets of water running softly over the building, the door made of a thick waterfall. Alice moves through the water and I follow, amazed that I don't become soaked from the heavy flow.

"It's because I welcome you into the building," she says. I look away from the waterfall and see that Alice is standing in front of an elevator, the button beside it glowing bright blue. "Other children of Poseidon are welcome as well but those outside of the family are frozen by the water - unless invited, of course."

I nod because it makes perfect sense - a form of security without actually having security.

Once on the elevator, Alice explains that she has the apartment that is equivalent to a penthouse because she is the reigning heir to her father's throne. She makes it sound like no big deal, but I can tell that it is. I can almost see the strain of responsibility weighing on her shoulders, though Alice's inner strength gave her a strong sense of grounding.

Steel doors open to walls of vibrant blues and black framed photographs of oceans and floor to ceiling windows covered in streaming jets of water. The furniture is simple white wood and muted metal and beige couches and chairs.

"Oh," Alice says as she walks forward, her eyes on a rather small, flat silver wrapped package sitting in the center of her coffee table. "For you."

I feel my brows raise as she hands it to me, carefully avoiding my hands. It's light and does not rattle when it moves. I must have stared at it for a long time before Alice clears her throat and gestures fro me to open it.

The silver paper crackles softly, loud in the curious silence. I open the box, seeing a simple white card on top of black tissue paper - the card reads "These should help. Dad". Moving it to the hand that supports the box, I push aside the tissue paper, revealing the oddest pair of cashmere and leather black gloves.

The top of the glove is thin buttery leather, the palm soft cashmere so light that air can easily pass through them. But unlike most gloves, there is a large hole cut out just under the delicate lace binding of the wrist - a hole that, when the glove was on, would reveal the skin of the top of my hand all the way to my knuckles.

"That was thoughtful," Alice comments quietly, a gentle smile on her face.

I nod. "I can touch things now," I tell her, fingering the soft fabrics. "Touch them without…"

"Put them on!" she commands excitedly, taking the box and the card from me so I could slip the gloves onto my hands.

They're made perfectly, tight to my skin but not uncomfortably so. I can wriggle and bend my fingers as easily as I could before I had the gloves on. I carefully clasp the onyx-looking stone on the outside of my wrists that holds the lace together and keeps the gloves on.

"You should try them," Alice suggests, putting the box and card back on the coffee table.

"On what?"

I'm slightly anxious that she might want me to try them out on her, but she just smiles and gestures to the potted bamboo plant beside the window with a flourish.

Biting my lip hard, I make my way to the plant, fearful that even with the gloves I will still zap the energy right out. But as I hesitantly touch the long leaf, I marvel in the sleek sensation of sliding my finger over the greenery. The cashmere is thin enough that I can feel the texture on the other side of the glove, but thick enough that I don't actually come in contact with the plant. I smile widely and move my hands, feeling the cool air around my fingers; my hands do not feel hot or cold, but rather the perfect temperature.

"Fantastic," I murmur.

The sun sets here differently.

While in most places the sun sets with a slow crawl towards the horizon, in Olympus the sun sinks suddenly - in under a minuet, the huge moon is shining silver light on the silver city. Alice had several scientific sentences explaining why the celestial bodies seemed so much closer here but I tuned her out, more than happy to let myself experience something without needing an explanation.

I finally feel safe. Normal.

After a room service delivered dinner of cheeseburgers and curly fries, Alice had shown me to her spare bedroom. It is sleek with clean lines and everything in light blue hues, tiny fish bowls beside the white candles on all the surfaces of the room - and built into the wall separating the bedroom and in suite bathroom in an aquarium of what Alice had called "tropical fish". The quiet bubbling of the water filled both rooms even as the deep water warped the view through the glass.

She left me alone with a promise that she was just down the hall, opposite the living room, if I needed anything.

I stand in front of the large window, watching as the moon lazily climbs up in the dark sky. This high up I can see several parts of the city lit up but even the lights can't drown out the glow of the stars. To the left is a massive ocean - I suppose the Pacific - and I find it odd that I hadn't noticed we were anywhere near a harbor. To the right I can see the clear curve of a white beach until it tapers off into jagged black rocks and rolling grassy hills, several miles off.

When the moon is high in the sky, a yawn escapes my mouth and I surrender to sleep. It isn't until I'm buried under the thick white down duvet that I realize the exhaustion that has been lingering all day. I'm mildly aware that my perception has been thrown off - something about this place has changed me.

Morning comes too quickly, waves crashing against the beach and spiking rocks, foaming white and washing off the sand. I help myself to a quick shower before my stomach leads me into the kitchen.

Alice is there, sipping on coffee with and sitting across from a man who I had seen only once before.

The liquid blue eyes of Poseidon assess me with a smile. He's dressed in jeans and a button down shirt, looking more like Alice's older brother than her father.

"Isabella!" His voice is booming, happy and loud even though he is speaking in a relatively quiet tone. He says my name with familiarity, casting a wink to his daughter when he gets up to get himself a cup of coffee.

Hesitantly, I walk further into the kitchen, sitting down next to Alice at the breakfast bar. She nods over to the white china plate of Danish pastries, grabbing a red-filled one for herself. Reaching out, I take a pastry covered in sliced almonds. Biting into it, my taste buds are assaulted by buttery smooth sweetness and the warm taste of almond and cinnamon.

"Welcome to Olympus, on behalf of me and my children," Poseidon says as he sits back down. "I won't mislead you on the purpose of my visit, though. My brother send me to answer questions for you, Isabella."

My brow furrows and before I can stop myself, I'm nearly demanding "Why can't he answer them?"

"It's against our…guidelines when dealing with potential heirs."

"So Hades can't contact me?"

Poseidon shook his head. "Not that he can contact you - but not for a extended period of time. In the past, Gods have grown too close to their heirs and…the heirs gained too much sway."

I was baffled, really. But before I got the chance to voice my suddenly very strong opinion on the strange customs of my relatives, Poseidon's face morphed into a rather large, childlike grin.

"I heard you got a delivery yesterday," he says in a statement - but also making it very clear that he would like to know more. Again, I am stuck by the oddity of no questions being asked by the Olympians.

Instead of dwelling on it, I nod in answer, quietly lamenting my excitement about the gloves.

"I wasn't sure that my brother would think to send you something helpful," Poseidon tells me with a wink. "Sometimes he can be quite obtuse - but perhaps he thought they would be of use."

"Does he…does he have the same-"

"Of course," he answers simply. "Powers are inherited Isabella, not developed."

Shortly after this statement is made, Poseidon leaves with a promise to visit before the winter solstice; after the elevator dings, Alice smiles and informs me that the solstice is in a few days. She also tells me that the winter solstice is typically celebrated and like most other solstices, is very important to the Olympians.

Oddly, I find myself looking forward to an event - and that is vastly out of character for me.

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><p><strong>AN: when i was converting this story into a fanfiction, i originally thought about making Hades into Charlie. but, in the end, i decided that it wasn't logical to do so. as of now, it's not clear if Charlie, Renee, Esme or Carlisle will be making it into the story - but if i had to bet, Esme and Carlisle would be the best candidates.**

**be brutally honest.**

**~cupcakeriot**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: i do not own Twilight or any of the Twilight-y things that are associated with Twilight. i do, however, own the yummiest frosting known to man - it even has little chocolate chips mixed in. mmm...yummy.**

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><p><strong>chapter three<strong>

_"Waste not fresh tears over old griefs."_

_-Euripides_

_Edward_

My body is reacting without me telling it to, dodging two flying fists and powerful legs while not letting me get backed into a corner. Years of training had ingrained instincts in me that I didn't have to monitor. I had complete trust in my body; I knew I could count on it to keep itself safe while my mind planned just exactly how I would retaliate, defend.

That was before, though. My mind slips up and distracts by body for the briefest second - images of the girl cropping up all at once in my head - just long enough for one of those flying punches to jab me in the jaw, snapping my head in the opposite direction.

"Fuck," I spit, shocked to see a bit of my blood on the floor. The metallic taste of my own blood rests heavily on my tongue, fueling my anger towards the jackass I'm sparring with.

James. Son of Ares.

He is a quick son of a bitch, light on his feet and ripped in a lithe way - but he was cocky and often let the war strategies in his head distract him. I hated that he was almost as good as me, hated that he wanted my Championship, hated his face.

James used to be close to me, though. And that's what I hated about him most - that fact that we grew up like brothers, his father being my fathers son, his father being my real brother. I hated that he grew up to be what he is now.

The final round ends with no victor and Jasper calls me to the corner of the ring, towel swung around his neck, handing me an icy bottle of water.

"He got better," Jasper tells me. His eyes betray nothing, no emotions, no thoughts - it used to freak me out, how calm he always was. But I learned to appreciate it. He was a valuable asset to have in my corner having inherited his mother's keen eye for strategy.

I swallow a cold mouthful of water and nod, handing the bottle back. "I know. He must have a new trainer."

"Mike."

"Fuck."

"I know."

It was fitting though. Two slimy Demi-Gods should work well together. I wondered what their mortal mothers would have to say about something like this, but realized I didn't much care. I wasn't a Demi-God and, really, the actions of Demi-Gods was none of my concern.

"You'll have to double your Arena time if you want to keep your belt."

I lean against the leather clad ropes, hanging my head down between my shoulders. Jasper was being practical - of course I would have to double my training to keep my title. But I didn't know if I would have the time; this year was fairly important for me.

For one, I was graduating from the Academy. Luckily my class load gave my half days, enough time to be able to travel back to Olympus from the country daily for Arena sessions. I also had to prove to Zeus that I could control my abilities well enough so he could crown me; he already knew I was going to be his heir, but my father had an obsession with perfection and wanted to be sure I could perform up to his standards.

I knew I could. I just had to prove it.

"You'll meet me on your half days," I tell Jasper, knowing he had already deduced that I've decided to double my traveling to keep up with these new demands.

Jasper flashes me a smile and punches my arm, telling me he has to go. I know what he plans to do - conveniently "run into" Poseidon's daughter.

Though I make fun of him for it, Jasper has guts. I find myself wondering if I would be ballsy enough to run into Hades' daughter.

The Solstice party is tonight and as I attempt to tame my hair, I begin to dread leaving my city housing for a bonfire party filled with people who give me odd looks for attending. As the son of Zeus, I have to attend - but at the same time, someone from the Arena attending a solstice event was strange.

Arena fighters were feared.

I meet Jasper at the foot of my building where he is leaning against the wall wearing a fedora. I quirk a brow at him.

"I like it," he shrugs, twirling a cigarette between his fingers. Smoking, for Gods and Demi-Gods, smoking was merely a way to pass time - our bodies could processes any drug far too fast for them to take place. In Jasper's case, the motions of smoking reminded him of his mortal father that raised him. Up until three years ago, Jasper had no idea he was anything but mortal. From what he's told me, his father was a rancher in Montana who rolled his own cigarettes.

But with the death of his father, the Fates sent a son of Hephaestus to retrieve Jasper and - as is the pattern with new male Demi-Gods and Gods - he was placed in the Arena to prove himself.

As a Demi-God with the gift of flawless strategy, Jasper surprised many Arena members and founders when he won his first match. Fortunately for Jasper, who did not enjoy fighting, he was assigned as my trainer and the rest is our short history.

Jasper puts the cigarette out, crushing it into the sole of his heavy boot and tossing the remains into the trashcan in the mouth the alley. "Let's get going," he says, bumping his shoulder with mine.

I can almost see t he excitement rolling off of him and know that Poseidon's daughter will be at the party.

It takes us nearly half an hour to get to the beach - a short journey that takes us through the heart of the Demi-God district where most of the Academy's student's live, including Jasper. Normally, I would have met up with Jasper in his district but he had insisted on meeting me.

Jasper had something to tell me.

When the sandy beach is in view, I slow my stride and clear my throat, prompting my friend to spilling his thoughts. I wait and watch as Jasper opens and closes his mouth several times before he looks me directly in the eye, his blonde brows furrowed in determination.

"She's staying with Alice."

My stomach drops at his words. She can only be one person. I feel so mixed about what this information means - I knew where she was but had no excuse to talk to her or seek her out. And knowing the characteristics of Alice, I knew she would be bringing Hades' daughter along to this party.

As if my body could feel her, I automatically stood up straighter, electricity channeling into my body from the resources around me. My eyes roved, searching for the slight frame and face that had so aptly captured my attention.

Without another word, Jasper and I lope down the steep bushy incline to the beach.

Already, the sky is darkening quickly with the fast sunset, stars so much closer to the large, deep expanse of the ocean. Hidden in the water, watching the Demi-Gods and Gods gather, are water nymphs and further out near Olympus borders, sirens.

The Demi-God children of Demeter and Artemis have already gathered enough tender to make a fairly large bonfire of driftwood. They sit in three tight circles around the unlit wood, the Daughters of Demeter closest to the driftwood, their hands clasped and voices murmuring a worshipful prayer to the moon. As their chant grows in volume, so do their movements - they sway in their seated circle back and forth, left and right.

The next circle, the larger circle nearly a foot behind Demeter's, are the children of Artemis. They begin to chant in cannon with the Daughter's as the Sons of Demeter walk counter clockwise around both circles, weaving their way between both.

It's mesmerizing to watch, even for those who have seen it their whole lives. The winter solstice marks meaningful times to the Fates and Gods - the beginning of new reign, of new learning.

The chanting grows louder and one by one, the Sons of Demeter light a twig of driftwood and throw it into the large pile of wood surrounded by stones from every volcano in the world.

As soon as the bonfire is roaring, the circles break up into happy cheers and hugs and onlookers like Jasper and I begin to move around.

The solstice has come.

She's standing with Alice a few feet away, completely ignorant to my gaze. I think, at least. I feel like I'm going to burn through her body with my eyes but I can't seem to tear myself away.

She's hypnotic.

Her arms are crossed tightly across her midsection, deep mahogany hair blowing around her soft pale face. Her hair must reach down to her waist with long curls. I'm amazed that the color is so constant.

She's listening to whatever Alice is saying with concentration, nodding every now and again and seeming to ask questions.

It's so rare for Gods to ask questions - we just always seem to know. Younger Gods like myself seem to question more easily than elder Gods, but wisdom is the reason for that.

I long to approach her, to hear her voice talk to me but she intimidates me. Her supposed power seems like a warning. I can see gloves on her hands even though it's not cold and wonder why she would need them.

"Stop staring," Jasper tells me. I snap my head in his direction, glare on my face.

"I wasn't," I tell him. Even I can hear the lie in my voice.

Jasper snorts and lights another cigarette. He's always so calm, so calculating. I envy him for that because at this moment, I can feel myself growing restless.

I don't like other people. I don't like the stares from female Demi-Gods that I'm receiving - the grotesque licking of lips and simpering smiles, flipping hair and casting winks toward me.

They don't want me for me - they want the power that I have, they want my title.

I huff and turn my back to her and the ocean and the bonfire, looking down at the dark leather cuff on my left wrist. In the center of the cuff is an engraved piece of platinum metal, the sign of Zeus in Greek lettering surrounding a pale, flat moonstone gem. I flip up the platinum piece and check the time on the watch that is hidden underneath.

"I gotta go," I tell Jasper, knowing that I have to finish packing for the Academy and be up early enough to do my last morning training at the Arena. I leave tomorrow for school around eight, my first class starting at nine. I dread attending class because of the assholes who are in my lessons.

Jasper nods, tipping his hat in my direction before his eyes are drawn towards Alice again.

One last time, I let my eyes wander to the girl - when will I talk to you?

There isn't much for me to pack because most of my things are in my dorm at the Academy but essentials like my training gear need to be placed in the black duffle at the foot of my bed.

Just as I am about to zip up the bag, my doorbell chimes - impatiently.

I couldn't be more shocked to find my father on the other side of the door. As always, his youth astounds me - as does the similarities in our features. We have the same unruly copper hair, mine a bit darker than his and the same strong jaw line.

"Edward," he says, walking past me.

"Father,"

We're very formal and I don't think it will ever change. I'm not sure I would want it to change.

In some ways, I understand why my father is so closed off - he has much power and responsibility resting on his shoulders. Unfortunately for me, if he does crown me his heir, I will be in the same predicament.

"You're holding your title well," he tells me, nodding to himself and rubbing his chin. He sits heavily on the black leather recliner in my living room.

I say nothing as I sit across from him on the dark wooden coffee table. I can almost see the gears turning in his head as he regards my bloodied knuckles, the bags under my eyes from training too long without enough sleep.

"In under two months you'll have to defend that title."

I nod because I'm aware of this; I wait more in tense silence because I am unaware of why he is visiting me. Zeus usually doesn't visit me more than three times a year - this is the fourth.

Zeus sighs, scrubbing his hands over his eyes. "The Fates have delivered some rather discouraging news to me." He frowns and locks eyes with mine. The grey of his iris is so light I can almost mistake it for the white of his eye - it never fails to astound me. My own eyes are losing the green in them and are becoming more like his.

"News," I state, my tone flat. The Fates were always delivering news of some sort.

Zeus nods. "Yes. But I cannot share it with you."

Immediately, I wonder what the fuck he is doing here then if he can't share this important news with me. As if he can read my mind, Zeus smiles faintly.

"I didn't say I wouldn't give you a hint, Edward," he tells me, his voice lighter and more amused than I have ever heard it. "You should not let anything or anyone distract you."

With that, Zeus stands and walks himself out, not looking back at me once. He leaves me with my mind racing at the possibilities of what he's told me.

I can't shake the feeling that if I were to become distracted, it would be a grave price to pay.

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><p><strong>AN: updates will not normally happen this fast - chapter 3 was pretty much halfway written, so i decided to go ahead and finish it quickly. that's why the chapter is so short.**

**should i combine chapters so there is a BPOV and an EPOV in each chapter? lots to think about there.**

**be brutally honest. i can take it.**

**~cupcakeriot**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: i do not own Twilight or anything relatively like Twilight - except for a vampy story that's being written by moi - but i do own some yummy coffee cake cupcakes with cinnamon cream-cheese frosting topped with sliced almonds. awesome breakfast!**

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><p><strong>chapter four<strong>

"_When all of your wishes are granted, many of your dreams will be destroyed."_

_Marilyn Manson _

_Isabella_

The Academy is massive; all old stone with ivy climbing up the walls and iron wrought fences. The main building is three stories high with large rounded topped windows and a set of cherry wood double doors clad with iron handles.

Beside the main building are two more narrow structures on either side, at least five stories each. Both look more modern but still appeal to a more rustic, older feeling.

Bright green grass covers slight rolling hills, separating flagstone and gravel pathways between the dormitories. Overshadowing even the buildings are hundreds of looming oaks and evergreens, the trunks several feet wide, branches hanging low.

The entire area is so far off from what the city is, it's both shocking and humbling to witness the change. Alice flips through what appears to be a fashion magazine the entire ride, sometimes pointing out where another God takes over the territory - the changes in the landscape are subtle but noticeable.

A driver opens the door to let us out, averting his eyes from us. He's older than any of the people I've seen yet, making him appear human. It occurs to me, after he leaves, that he might be human.

Before Alice and I can take a step forward, a tall, graceful woman steps out from under a tree, faint smile on her face as she appraises us. Her hair is longer than mine, a warm honey blonde streaked with darker tones and her eyes are a startling, clear green.

Upon seeing the woman, Alice stands up straighter and bows her head respectfully, clasping her hands in front of her for a moment.

The woman reaches forward to touch Alice's face softly. "Child, you've grown since I've last seen you."

"Thank you, Athena."

My eyes widen in recognition - Athena, the Goddess born from Zeus's mind, the Goddess of Wisdom and Civilization. From what I've learned in my previous school - before I even knew about my heritage - Athena's stories were my favorite; she won Athens and turned Medusa into the snake-haired monster. She was an inspiration, a feminist focal point even in ancient Greek times when men were seen as the most wise, the most powerful.

Athena turns to me with a wide, breath-taking smile, joy obvious in her clover green eyes. "Isabella, I've heard much about you. Tell me, child, you have found comfort thus far, yes?"

This simple question disguised as a statement was the first inquiry from a God that I had encountered. It startled me with its oddness for a moment before I answered with an easy affirmative nod of my head.

"I see your father sent the gloves," Athena observes.

My eyes flick down to my hands, the cashmere and leather fingers so light that I nearly forgot I was wearing them. "Uh…yes. He did," I confirm, slowly bringing my eyes back to her.

I wonder what Athena sees when she looks at me. A lost little girl who was suddenly thrust into a world she didn't even know existed? Or a young woman who was finally coming into her own?

Or a frightening doll with murderous hands?

Alice, too, is looking at my hands. "We must order more," she says decisively.

"Why?" I inquire before I can stop myself. I almost clasp my hand over my mouth, as if I can take the word back before either women around me can hear it. But, truthfully, why would I need another pair or more?

Alice glances at me as if she's expecting me to be joking. When she sees the genuinely confused expression on my face, her ocean eyes widen. "To match other clothes, of course."

"Alice, dear, be sure to find pairs that match her skin tone," Athena advises, one perfect brow quirked. Alice nods eagerly beside me, pulling a sleek silver pen from her pocket and jotting down a few quick words onto her magazine; her attention is focused completely on what she is writing. "Isabella, you will find some of your belongings in your dorm room."

"Really?" While I had no regrets leaving my old world behind, I had been missing my art supplies, namely my charcoal.

"Yes. I discussed it with your father and we sent out a few sons of Hermes to retrieve some artifacts."

"I- Thank you."

"Worry not, child," Athena smiles, waving a hand dismissively in the air. "I must tend to other duties, now. Should you need anything, my office is through the first set of doors when you enter the Academics building."

I silently conclude that Athena must be the principal of some sort for the Academy and murmur my understanding to her. Without any preamble, she bids Alice and I a quick good-bye.

My room, along with Alice's, is at the very top of one of the four story buildings. The top floor is host to three suits.

When I asked Alice about where the other students slept, she airily told me that the floors were divided by who had sired the student and if the student was a God or Demi-God. She explained that true Gods were very rare and classified by both parents being Gods or one of the parents being a fairly powerful nymph - like her own parentage. The Academy currently had four true Gods, five now including me; a son of Apollo, a daughter of Aphrodite, a daughter of Poseidon, a son of Zeus and me, a daughter of Hades. The rest of the students were Demi-Gods.

Initially, I had frowned at that information, not liking that I was one of the five but eventually reasoning that I would be used to it soon enough.

Sleep that first night was horrible; my mind was racing with first-day jitters and my hands were becoming increasingly chilly as I grew more nervous. I continually worried that the gloves would fail to work as they had yet to be tested when my gift was growing hungry.

I kept telling myself to have faith in Athena and Hades - both, even in writing, had seemed fairly confident in the gloves. As of yet, I had no reason to doubt either of them or any of the people I had met. Perhaps I was being to trusting.

I'd never relied so heavily on anyone before, choosing instead to skip school on days when my hands grew icy. Now, though, I knew I would be unable to skip.

There was also the anxiousness of being transported to the Arena later that day - I'd seen Alice's face when I told her of what the other Gods had decided for me. Instantly, her eyes had widened in shock and worry and fear.

I hoped reverently that the fear wasn't for me.

Alice surprised me though when she insisted on accompanying me to the Arena on the days I was scheduled to go. She'd seemed so wary of the Arena when she'd taken me there a little under a week ago and honestly, the men and boys who were packed into that building her hulking masses of muscles.

My dorm was comforting, though - even in my sleepless delirium, I could appreciate the substantial, pane-less window that let in the so-close silver moonlight and the sheer black curtains hanging loosely on either side of the glass. The low light made the smooth pewter lines of the metal in the room shine faintly.

I snuggle down deeper into the black down duvet and silky black sheets, the fluffy pillows and mattress engulfing me in a warm cocoon of my own body heat. It warmed my un-gloved hands slightly, calming me.

I finally fall asleep a few hours before dawn, waking up to insistent knocking on my door. Just when I assume the knocker has left, it begins again, prompting me to answer the door.

I can feel my hair all over the place, surely looking like a small animal spent the whole night knotting it up as I slept - I'd never been one to wake up either happy or refreshed looking.

Alice's grinning face and perfect hair greets me on the other side of the door. She walks into the room with confidence, immediately going to my closet and pulling out a thick wool black blazer with giant dark metal buttons. "You'll want this," she tells me as she lays it on the bed, sitting down beside me.

My hands, chilly as they are, are hidden underneath my crossed arms. Observing this, Alice smiles sweetly. "I think everything will be okay."

I try to smile back but am unable to. Instead, I sigh heavily and gesture towards the in-suite bathroom. "I guess I better get ready."

"You're first class is in an hour," Alice informs, standing and tapping the stark white paper on my glossy black desk. "I have to go and meet up with a study group. You'll be able to find your class?"

"Yeah,"

"See you at lunch," she calls behind her as she closes the door

I quickly pick out clothes, the first my fingers touch, and turn on the shower, hot water steadily steaming up the mirrors in the bathroom. As the hot fog grows thicker, I look at my face in the mirror.

Pale skin with barely-there natural blushing on my cheekbones, dusty rosebud lips, silvery-grey eyes with specks of lilac and cobalt around the pupil and thick naturally black eyelashes. My eyebrows are a few shades darker than my deep auburn hair, the strands thick and curling, parted unevenly down the middle.

My shower is quick and I am pulling on dark acid wash skinny jeans and a satiny black shirt with capped sleeves and ties for a bow under the base of my throat. I run a brush through my hair and slip on my black Doc Martens with loose ties up the front. I don my jacket and gloves and, with a look out the window to see the harsh winds, I pull out a fringed grey scarf and grab the paper with instructions to bring a notebook and pen for classes.

I find it odd because I am accustomed to bringing a backpack and several binders to school, but I'm sure, as the days pass and a routine begins, I will become used to the change.

My first class is, oddly enough, an art class. I find it easily enough - first floor, large studio room set up with large canvases on easels. There is no instructor present when I arrive so I gingerly pick an easel towards the back of the room, copying the other students as they gather brushes and paints.

A few glance at me with open curiosity while others ignore me completely. As I settle into my stool, I shred my coat and scarf, opting not to take off the gloves; my hands move freely enough in them that I will be able to paint, though I do miss the feel of the wooden paint brush in my hand.

Just as the shrill bell rings from an old fashioned clock above the door, a frantically messy man walks into the room, graying hair sticking on end. His face appears young but his demeanor ages him significantly.

He calls the class to attention, clearing his throat. "Welcome to first day of classes. I am Benjamin and a son of one of the Muses - just who, is not important. You will have a total of fifty-five minuets to create a painting that expresses who you _think _you are."

The class passes quickly, brushes dipping into paint quickly and the hypnotic sound of bristles against canvas filling the large room. Benjamin walks slowly through the room, stopping beside some paintings in progress every once in a while. He calls the end of the class, instructing us to clean up and place our canvas on the drying racks.

As I file out of the classroom, holding my hands tightly to the jacket I didn't put back on, Benjamin's eyes linger on me, the weight of his stare slowing me.

I raise my eyes to his and he smiles at me, seemingly unconcerned that I caught him staring.

The rest of my classes pass quickly and all seem to have an artistic theme save for three of them - my Introduction to Mythology History class, my Defense Training class and my World Mythology class. I meet with Alice for lunch and she tells me that our ride will be here to pick us up just after the last class.

We arrive at the Arena sooner than I would like. By this time Alice is standing fairly close to me with uncertainty written on her angelic features. The same boy who first lead me into the building is back, guiding both of us through the gym. It is far more empty than it was but that only emphasizes the heavy equipment and matted floors.

"Hey Andre," he calls out, snickering to himself and winking at Alice. She makes a face and pointedly looks away.

A heavy-set muscled man steps into the large main room. His size is stunning but there is an air around him that instantly makes me feel safe. He dismisses the boy and quietly introduces himself. "I run the gym," he concludes, after informing both of us that he was one of the first sons of Ares and that, really, if anyone made us uncomfortable in the Arena, we shouldn't hesitate to tell him. He also makes a point to tell me that there is a bag in the changing room that is meant for me.

The changing room is really a glorified storage room with a bright hanging light and dull orange metal locker and Andre apologetically explains that since I was the only girl at the Arena, it made more sense for me to have my own room.

He left us so I could change into a tight black tank top and a pair of dark grey shorts similar to the ones volleyball players wore. Alice helps wrap my knuckles in tape, careful not to touch my skin as I had warned her. Along with a pair of very breathable, light sneakers, there is a pair of light-weight boxing gloves at the bottom of the bag.

"You look good," Alice says with a smile. I think she's become more comfortable with the entire situation in the fifteen minuets we've been here. She is quick to punch her hands with mine in jest. This is, so far, the freest I have seen her - she seems so relaxed, not worried about her duties for a moment. It's refreshing.

We step out of the changing room and into the main room, stopping short when my eyes fall on the quick moving form of a boy in the middle of the room.

His feet are bare except for the tape under the balls of this feet, his legs bent slightly and constantly moving around the sand-filled punching bag. His body is lithe and lean, tall but sinewy and strong, his biceps clenching with every fast motion of his arms. He doesn't seem to be winded yet but along the hairline of his riotous coppery hair, light sweat begins to collect.

I am bombarded by a sudden feeling in the pit of my stomach that I've never felt before. A certain longing, an ache - something completely unfamiliar that burns it's way into my chest.

I'm not sure that I find comfort in the foreign feeling.

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><p><strong>AN: hopefully this chapter is without error (i proofed 3 times). i felt like it was rather boring but i know that after this chapter out of the way, things will pick up. and...yay - sweaty Edward.**

**be brutally honest.**

**~cupcakeriot**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: i do not own Twilight - i do own the Arena and a wonderful pecan muffin. yum!**

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><p><strong>chapter five<strong>

"_Evil is whatever distracts."_

_Franz Kafka_

_Edward_

The Fates, in general, are a group of elderly immortal women who thrive off of passing along vague and often contradictory prophecies. It's to my understanding that they enjoy confusing the Gods - look at any of the Ancients. They were given small clusters of information and expected to piece it together, sometimes guessing correctly, other times being completely off the mark.

I wasn't supposed to be distracted.

That could mean so many things - distracted from my heir duties by the Arena or distracted from the Arena by the girl? Or maybe it was none of them and the distracted hadn't be presented to me, yet.

It gave me a headache and I resolved to not think about it. Instead, I would take my frustration out on the punching bag in front of me.

Jasper orders me to reset my sequence, holding the bag tighter for tension. I know that he is tallying every hit I make to write down later.

I can feel a thin sheen of sweat spreading over my body, cooling my skin. My body feels good - nothing is tight or strained and I know I'll be using my entire allotted time this afternoon.

"Set B," Jasper demands and I immediately switch to a different pattern; three upper cuts, a knee strike and a left roundhouse before ducking and delivering a quick succession of four short-straight punches that would be meant for the torso of whomever I'm fighting. Set B is, by far, one of my favorite sets to do.

Just as I finish the second set, a low female squeak rings out from behind me, distracting Jasper enough that his grip loosens on the punching bag which makes him fail to brace himself. He is caught off guard and, with my next roundhouse, he is forcefully sent to the mat. Hard.

"Shit!" I instantly stop moving, grabbing the bag before it can swing and knock me over, too. "Fuck, Jasper. You okay?"

He nods, running a hand over his face and groaning lightly. "At least now we know your roundhouse has improved." Jasper sits up, his eyes shifting past me and widening. As his face begins to color with embarrassment, I look behind me and wish that I hadn't.

She's here, bottom lip firmly between her teeth, arms crossed over her stomach and wearing the tiniest pair of shorts I've ever seen. I drag my eyes away from the creamy length of her legs - for someone so short, they are fairly long - and look to the dark haired girl standing beside her.

The girl who has her hands clasped over her mouth and her eyes wide. The one who clearly made the squeaking noise. The daughter of Poseidon.

She's obviously here as support for the girl and I wonder if she will, eventually, become what Jasper is to me - a trainer.

"What the fuck is going on?" Andre's jovial voice cuts into the shockingly tense silence. He sounds more amused than concerned or annoyed - most likely, he'd seen the entire affair and decided the situation needed his brand of humor.

I've always wondered how Andre and James could be so different and decided it probably had something to do with their mothers, Andre's being human.

Alice jumps and turns to him, her hands flailing wildly. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to-"

Andre's laughter cuts her off. "Jasper, stand up," he orders and then looks to me. "That kick could have been stronger. Add weights to your legs and move to the wall."

The wall was literally a wall covered in thick mats, some parts of it doubled to create blocks for kicking practices. In front of the wall was a suspended punching bag on a sliding mechanism that made force measurements easier.

Andre turns to the girl and grins. "You can get started on stretches. Then I want you to begin with three sets of twenty sit ups, pull ups and pushups. You, Screamer," he winks at Alice, "Help your friend out, yes?"

Both girls nod and begin doing as Andre directed. I take a moment to appreciate the curve of her back as she sits on the floor, legs spread in a V and leaning forward to touch her toes. She's extremely flexible-

"You shouldn't stare," Andre tells me.

"Shut the fuck up," I huff, turning away and moving to the suspended bag. Jasper hands me ten pound weights to secure to my knees and I begin sets of five roundhouse kicks, being sure to exhale the second I'm about to make impact with the bag so I can have the optimum amount of impact.

I find myself more determined than I have been in a long time.

Jasper is quiet in the locker room, his mind obviously on Alice by the expression on his face. I don't bother him because I'm no better - I want to know her name and everything about her.

Carefully, I rip the tape from the bottom of my feet because if I do it wrong, it hurts like a bitch and I'm honestly in no mood to deal with tape burns. I'm even more careful with my hands due to the aging scabs on my knuckles; they almost never healed because they opened up again every time I was at the Arena. I didn't mind.

From the front room, we can clearly hear Andre's voice boom. "Isabella! Your ride is here!" Before I can even process the thought of her leaving before I have a chance to speak to her, Andre's hand pounds on the locker room door. "You too, boys! Go home!"

The car is quiet with tense silence; Alice and Jasper subtly make eyes at each other and the girl, Isabella, keeps her face towards the window, not noticing - I hope - that my own eyes are studying her.

The gloves are her hands are intriguing, dark and tight but loose enough for her fingers to twitch and fidget. Just as a yearning to hold her hand hits me, her tiny hands close tightly and I realize that I'd already moved my hand into the air between us.

Shit.

I have to get a hold of myself. There can't be anything more special about this girl than there is about any of the girls at the Academy.

Emmett, son of Apollo, is grinning like a villain when Jasper and I step off the elevator; he wiggles is brows at us in his typical fashion.

"Ladies," he greets. Simultaneously, Jasper and I flip him off and he barks out a loud laugh. "Touchy. Anything you need to tell the great Emmett?"

"Since when did you become great?"

Emmett smiles levelly at me, a sudden glimpse of maturity coming over him. "Since Rosalie said yes."

Jasper reacts fist, thumping his fist on Emmett's shoulder. "No shit?"

"I shit you not."

I smile at my friend because he and Rosalie had been seeing each other for several years, each being the heir of their parents. Rosalie was the daughter of Aphrodite and - much to Hephaestus' dismay - the daughter of Ares. It wasn't a secret that Aphrodite was fairly unhappy about her marriage and often committed infidelity with mortals. It's a slap in the face to Hephaestus that she willingly let Ares father her child when she only grudgingly gave birth to Hephaestus' children once a century.

Because of all this, Rosalie - though incredibly beautiful - was often the subject of taunting and gossip. It had made her stronger, of course; but her walls were so high that Emmett had a tough time breaking them down.

I congratulate Emmett, wondering if Isabella has any walls that need to be deconstructed.

The next day, as school trudges along, I keep an eye out for Isabella and find it increasingly frustrating that she is no where to be found.

Obviously, our classes don't line up or she's in specialty courses because of her late arrival. I see Alice several times but Isabella is never with her.

I'm not used to not getting my way. I was spoiled and I knew it - never in my life have I had to wait for anything and I disliked having to.

Just as I am about to give up all hope of finding her, I walk out into the southern courtyard and see her sitting under a tree. A tingling sensation shoots through my body, up to my stomach and down my spine, lingering in my mind and I realize I feel nervous.

I can't bring myself to speak to her so I slowly back up to the stone wall of the school, keeping my eyes trained on her tiny body.

Isabella leans her back onto the tree, closing her eyes and flexing her hands, frowning. Her eyes open and dart down to her hands, an expression of defeat crossing her delicate features.

Slowly, she takes off her gloves, wriggling her freed fingers in the cool air. It has yet to snow at the Academy but it's fairly cold, the grass beneath my feet frosted over, the air before my face foggy when I breathe out.

Isabella places her hands on the grass beside her.

And then I am seeing the singularly most astonishing sight I've ever seen. The grass under and around her hands instantly fades into a sickly, pale brown and steadily, the color seeps out of the surrounding grass in equal circles. The already dead grass continues to lose color and life and begins to turn black, the soil underneath it becoming dry and cracked.

Isabella's eyes are closed again, her cheeks flushing light pink as her fingers dig into the cracked ground, drawing more life from it.

Unexpectedly, her eyes snap open; even from a distance, I can tell that they're glowing bright silver, her pupil nearly non-existent. Isabella rips her hands from the ground beside her and covers her face, curling her knees up to her chest and sobbing out.

A perfect circle 3 yards in diameter surrounds her, dead and cracked ground and the large tree she was sitting under half-dead.

This was the power the Gods were so afraid of.

Parts of me are warring with themselves - should I approach her or do I run away?

Needing time to process, I hazard one glance back in her direction as I back away, shocked to find her teary, still glowing silver eyes trained on me.

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><p><strong>AN: i'd like to thank _LittleMissDreamer7_ for being the first person to reply to my reply of your review! _LittleMiss_ - you pushed me to finish the chapter without even trying!**

**also, i know it was really a rather short chapter - but i've made no promises to make long chapters. i've only written a fifteen page chapter once in my life and it took way too long; i'm not a patient person. chapters should be somewhere around the length of chapter 3, but there wasn't much more that Edward had to say.**

**i write the chapters as they come to me. if its short, its short.**

**be brutally honest. i can take it.**

**~cupcakeriot  
><strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: as usual, in the past three days, i have not become to owner of Twilight. i do own these ridiculous chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting, chocolate gouache drizzled over and quartered peanut butter cups both baked into the cupcake and topping the cupcake.**

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><p><strong>chapter six<strong>

"_Guilt is perhaps the most painful companion of death."_

_Coco Chanel _

_Isabella_

The tree against my back is solid, thriving with life, hundreds of thousands little cells of life running under the ground, roots bringing nourishment to the oak. Nourishment that I need.

I'm warring with myself, trying to fight off the need. But I know it's hopeless - the older I aged, the more often I had cravings and now, being in this place, the hunger came much more quick than it ever had.

I peel off my gloves slowly, wishing that I didn't have to but my vision is blurring and blood is rushing through my head, my head pounding and my ears roaring with white noise. The pit of my stomach is hollow, pangs coming with every breath.

As my hands touch the vibrant grass, a wave of ecstasy pulses through me; I can feel energy pouring into my body, feel every bit seeping into my cells, filling me. But I'm far from full as I dig my fingers into the fertile soil, searching for more, always more.

What feels like moments later, my eyes are open, taking in the damage of what I've done. My sight seems more sharp, more contrasted, my body lighter. I sigh and let my eyes wander up, my breath stopping in my lungs when grey-green eyes connect with my own.

_ Oh no._

Someone saw.

_But not just someone, _my mind argues. _He saw._

Edward, the fighter from the Arena, the one who I couldn't stop thinking about.

And now he would be fearful of me, avoiding me at all costs. Running away from me. A sense of self-loathing washes over me as I look away and flee, running as fast as I can behind the tree and into the woods.

From behind me, I can barley hear my name being called but I continue on, navigating myself behind the school and to my dorm. It's not until I am panting in my room, rubbing at the tear tracks running down my face that I realize I left my bag under the tree.

Sometime later, Alice is knocking on my door and entering my room with a peculiar look on her face. "Edward just dropped this off," she informs, placing my bag on the ground by the door and walking further into my dorm.

Her ocean eyes are changing from stormy cobalt to swirling aqua as she regards me. I am laying on my stomach with my head resting on my folded arms; I'm positive my expression is heartbroken because that is exactly how I feel.

For one reason or another, I feel like I lost something today - lost someone.

The guilt is eating me up, also, as it always does. I feel such an intense feeling of shame for needing the energy and seeing my own destruction always made it worse - no matter how well my body felt afterwards.

But today the guilt is second to the broken feeling in my chest.

Alice's brows furrow as she sits on the cushy black leather chair across from the bed, beside the large window. Her body is folded up, chin on knees, arm around legs, eyes on me.

"Talk about it," she demands, her voice gentle but firm.

And so I do - I tell her about everything and not just from today. I start at the beginning, shocking myself by opening up to another person as it had never truly happened before. Of course, there were times when I was honest with the person who acted as my indifferent mother but, with Alice, it's different. I feel no need to filter any of my words or thoughts because she will continue to sit and listen until I am done.

I tell her about the confusion of being here and the elation I felt in Olympus City and the serenity of being on Academy campus even though I sometimes get odd and fearful looks from other students. I tell her about the longing I feel for Edward and about how he witnessed my horrid gift today and about how I ran. I tell her about a few of the more frightening instances of my power - when I was only thirteen and the gift assaulted me for the first time and I took out acres of forest and how I covered it up by lighting matches, hoping someone would buy the forest fire.

When I am done, her eyes are compassionate and a small smile plays on the edges of her lips. I predict that she says something about my power as that was what I had gone into most detail about but Alice surprises me, stating softly, "You love him."

I feel my face heat and begin to shake my head. "No, I don't," my voice trembles with the lie. I direct my eyes out to the window, avoiding her gaze.

My eyes, for some time, had been drawn in that direction and as I let them settle on the figure that is pacing under an old weeping willow, I realize why. Edward seems to be muttering to himself, his hands pulling at his hair when he glances towards my building.

"You do."

"I can't," I whisper, feeling unwanted tears forming in my eyes, making my vision swim and Edward blur. It's the truth. How would I ever be able to love Edward? I can hardly touch anything without draining it and Gods forbid I ever touch a person.

"Isabella," Alice says, calling my attention to her. Reluctantly, I draw my eyes away and give her my attention. "You can. You have to. It's already out of your control-"

"No-"

"Listen to me," she commands, snapping her fingers once. "In Ancient times, Gods were drawn to each other because their powers called them together. Erebus, the darkness, and Nyx, the night, were created separately but became one. The ocean nymph Pleione was drawn to Atlas. Hera and Zeus even play on each other's gifts, though they tend to be more silent about it. What you are experiencing with Edward is the same - your powers crave him as his do yours."

I shake my head in denial. "That's worse," I tell her, shuddering to think that my only experience with these emotions is because of my gifts.

"No, it's not what you think, Isabella." Alice is quick to correct me, waving her hands rapidly as she talks fast. "Yes, your drawn to him because of the gifts - but that's it. It's only a draw. What your feeling, emotionally, is all you. And him."

I look again towards the window, processing this and am stunned when I catch Edward's eyes, the grey-green boring through thick glass and distance.

Does he feel the same? Or is he _only _drawn?

I am cautious of the ground the next morning. While yesterday had been frosty, the long night had given way to heavy snowfall, rich and powdery frozen ice that continued to fall from the sky. My eyes are set firmly on the knee-high black suede boots I found in my closet, along with thick acid-washed jeans and a snug dark grey turtle-neck sweater. I'm bundled up and warm with my gloves, scarf and jacket, but find myself wishing that I had a hat of some sort because my ears are suffering from the cold.

Apparently, Gods are as affected by weather as humans are.

I'm so concentrated on getting to the main building in one piece that I nearly run into two bodies - one large and muscular, the other taller than me and voluptuous.

"Easy there!" The voice is booming and attached to a kind face. His arms are around a stunning blonde with violet eyes and a calculating smile - I cannot help but feel as though she's summing me up and finding something lacking. "I'm Emmett,"

"Elysia," I reply shakily, looking up at his curly dark hair and warm caramel eyes. "I'm so sorry for-"

"Don't worry about it," he laughs, smiling at the girl beside him who's face has changed to amused. "This is my fiancée, Rosalie."

Her face is much more beautiful now that she hasn't deemed me a threat. Rosalie smiles happily at me and turns back to Emmett, telling him with her eyes that they need to leave.

As they walk towards the boy's dormitory building, Emmett calls a happy good-bye back at me.

The school's layout is fairly simple and except for one class of mine, I'm able to find my way easily. My mind is hovering over the information Alice had supplied with me earlier as I take a seat in my Mythology class. The teacher claims to be a son of Leto, a Goddess who was known for giving birth to Artemis and Apollo - and nothing else.

He calls the class to attention, taking roll and going straight into the lecture. I take mindless notes, wondering about the odd feeling in my stomach that grows stronger towards the end of class.

Suddenly, the feeling grows into a demanding pull, fluttering up into my chest near my heart. My hand moves to rest over my sternum as my eyes are pulled with snapping force towards the doorway.

I bit my lip to keep the gasp in. Leaning heavily on the doorjamb is Edward, his gaze steady and boring into me. Nothing about his demeanor seems unfriendly, but there is a certain air of determination resting around him. Before the bell rings, I am pulling my bag onto my shoulder and walking towards him.

As I come closer, he leans away from the door and slowly walks backwards, keeping eye contact with me the entire time.

The bell rings off in the distance and I quickly glance around, stunned that he had drawn us to the courtyard from yesterday without my noticing. I balk, my eyes resting on the damage I caused, the snow somehow not covering much of it at all.

"Isabella," his voice is soft and velvety, coaxing my attention to him. Edward is standing so close that the cool puffs of his breath are mingling with mine in the frigid air.

I take a step away and straighten my back, unsure about too many things. I stay silent and wait for him to continue.

"Why did you run?" Edward demands, his eyes suddenly wild and worried.

I press my lips together, not having an explanation. "Why did you…watch?"

He, too, seems to not have an answer. We stand feet away from each other, watching as the other breathes and thinks for several minuets. I am the first to move, taking another step away from him. Almost instantly, his hand reaches out as if to pull me back but rests in the air, the rest of his body still.

I'm thankful that I do not have to go to the Arena today and face him. A large part of me wishes to speak to him but the smaller, more scared, part of myself that I listen to most often wants to run away and hide.

I turn towards the main building and glance over my shoulder at Edward one last time, taking in his frustrated expression. The grey-green of his eyes seem to follow me for the rest of the day, as does the pull in my chest.

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><p><strong>AN: i was happy with this chapter because we got to see what's going on in Bella's head, a truer side of Alice and we learned what the pull was - an explanation i'm rather proud about.**

_**shout out to IvySnow - you know why!**_

**be brutally honest. i can take it.**

**~cupcakeriot**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: i do not own Twilight and honestly, i don't think i ever will. i do happen to own these amazing carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and roasted walnuts and pecans on top. ohh yummm.  
><strong>

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><p><strong>chapter seven<strong>

"_We can evade reality, but we cannot evade the consequences of evading reality"_

_~Ayn Rand _

_Edward_

Isabella was avoiding me.

And doing a damn good job at it.

I hadn't seen her in over two weeks but I'd certainly heard of her - whether it was Andre raving about her natural sparring abilities or Jasper telling a story that Alice had told him or even Emmett, who'd become close to her, going on and on about her.

To say I was jealous of the people I considered close friends was an understatement.

In the time that she'd been avoiding me, she captured the hearts of everyone around her, albeit seemingly unwillingly. From what I'd been told, she didn't seem to like attention and had a knack for putting the spotlight on another person.

The ache in my chest that had shown up the last time I saw her - when I was able to lead her away from the classroom and to the courtyard - had been steadily increasing in intensity until it was it's on entity. It was it's own living, pulsing, thought-bearing longing, so real that sometimes it was almost as if I could feel her even when I couldn't see her. I'd surmised that, based on the heat in my chest, I could locate her from a distance; the heating ache would grow and clench when she was near and fade when she wasn't.

I found great comfort in the ache because though I never saw her, I knew that she had to be safe.

Jasper was nearly oblivious to my issues with Isabella because he had finally summed up the courage to take a shot at Alice. In the past, he'd always been fearful of rejection but obviously enough he'd gotten over the one thing that was holding him back.

I was happy to suffer in silence.

I sit in the middle of a sparse room, bare of everything except for a dark wooden floor, blank grey walls, a hanging lantern in the left corner and the pacing form of Rhea, mother of the Gods.

In the human ways, Rhea was my grandmother simply because she is the mother of my father. To Olympus, she is the mother of every full-blooded God or Goddess, her blood and flesh passed down through every generation. There was something ever-changing about Rhea; her eyes would morph from icy blue-grey, to silver, to green-grey, to grey-violet and back, her hair a curious shade of black with silver strands streaking through, her skin similar to the shade of Zeus. Rhea also appeared to be much other than the other Gods by at least fifteen years. The oddest thing though was that she never looked exactly the same twice - it was as if she was an unstable illusion, sometimes slightly shorter or her nose a tad bit different.

It was equally difficult to look at her and to avoid looking at her.

Rhea was also an expert of gifts and her insight rivaled that of the Fates. She took it upon herself to train any Gods that had rare and unique abilities as she had seen nearly every power imaginable.

That is what she was doing now. Training me.

Zeus was the God of the sky, the lord of lightening and thunder and wind, and the controller of weather. Through each of his children, he passed down a bit of his power - my eldest sister was able to control clouds, my elder twin brothers able to dictate storms of thunder and tornados. I, the youngest yet of Zeus' kin, was able to control electricity - which is so far, the closest power to Zeus' that had been seen.

My ability is the reason why I was picked to be his heir. Electricity is lightening, lightening being the most powerful of Zeus' own power - his lightening bolt being his primary weapon.

Lightening is also his most inconsistent and dangerous ability.

Rhea begins to circle me, instructing me to close my eyes; her voice lulls me into a sense of peace and meditation. I know that in a few moments, electricity would filter into that lantern in the corner and Rhea would encourage me to draw the energy out of the lamp.

I had no trouble drawing it out - my biggest problem was controlling the electricity once it was out.

"Slow, Edward," Rhea murmurs. I imagine myself holding the electricity in my hands - just like I'm supposed to - and ever so slowly, let the lamp empty itself. I can feel the crackle of unrestrained electricity in the air but before I am able to call it towards myself, the ions snap against each other and fizz out, creating a thick static in the room. The hair on my arms and neck raises, my body tenses and Rhea sighs. "Too slow, Edward."

"I know," I mutter, my head falling into my hands. I had waited too long to call the electricity, had left it suspended on its own for a second too much. I stand and pop my neck, making eye contact with Rhea. "I'll see you in a few weeks."

"Edward," Rhea calls before I can walk out. I turn to her. "Do not let her avoid you for much longer."

"Who?"

"Isabella," Rhea sighs with a smile. "She's lost right now, but not uneducated."

I'm slightly shocked to hear this. When had Rhea spoken to Isabella?

As if reading my mind, Rhea laughs gently. "There isn't much that happens here that I do not know about."

My talk with Rhea had injected me with a bit of confidence, as if she had given me the green light to pursue Isabella. She was right - I couldn't let this bizarre dance Isabella and I were dancing go on for much longer. Based on the ache in my chest, it truly couldn't keep going without harming either of us - and letting Isabella be hurt was not an option.

Not when I could prevent it.

I stand against the wall of the girl dormitories, waiting for Isabella to walk out. A glance at the large clock on the academic building tells me that class starts in five minuets.

A fission of worry creeps into my head, weighing in my stomach like lead. In all the stories that I'd heard, nobody ever said Isabella was late for anything and since I'd been here for over an hour and a half, I knew I had not missed her.

Alice scurries out of the building and makes her way towards the academic building at a very quick pace. I assume that she is trying to get to class on time. But instead of entering the building, she bangs her hands on Athena's window, calling her name loudly.

At the same moment, the ache in my chest flares, nearly knocking me over. It feels like a fire is burning me from the inside, the warmth uncomfortable and so unlike the other ache.

I feel weak.

Athena rushes out of the building, her hands coming to rest on Alice's shaking shoulders. Alice appears to be sobbing, gesturing wildly towards the building. She and Athena begin to rush towards the girl's dormitory and as they run past me and in through the doors, Isabella's name falls from their lips.

I don't think. I can't - the pain is getting stronger and more unmanageable. My body is on autopilot, acting immediately without my consent.

My mind can only process Isabella's name as I follow closely behind Athena and Alice, as I run up the stairs past their surprised faces, as I let the searing burn in my heart lead me towards a dark room where Isabella is groaning in pain on her bed.

For a moment, all I can do is stare at her. Her beautiful face twisted in agony, hair stuck to her forehead and her back arched as her bare fingers clutch at the dark sheets. Her pink lips open in a silent scream just as quick stabs beat into my chest. I can feel my body heating up - just like hers.

Without waiting any longer, I begin towards Isabella, the pain slowing me, making me slump against the wall and watch with bleary eyes as she thrashes about on her bed.

Behind me, Alice is crying, saying over and over that she can't touch Isabella. Athena is observing the scene before her with the most panicked expression on her face, her eyes moving between Isabella and I.

Isabella's back arches further, completely off the bed, and my hands twitch towards her but I can't move - can't even fathom moving.

I'm entirely consumed by pain.

Athena gives Alice orders I can't comprehend and comes to stand in front of me, blocking the view of Isabella. As my eyes lose sight of her, pricks of anguish filter through my entire body.

Suddenly Jasper is in front of me, helping Athena pick me up. I panic for a second, thinking that they are taking me away from Isabella, but instead they bring me closer until I am laying beside her.

Isabella turns her head towards me, her hot breath panting in my face. Her eyes are bloodshot and glowing silver, the pupil nearly non-existent. I can see that she recognizes me. Her eyes grow soft, her fingers twitching.

I know right when we are feeling the same pain because in a synchronized time, spasms explode through our bodies, groans leaving us. Isabella's back arches again, higher than ever, and without thinking, my arm falls over her ribs and pulls her down.

Her shirt had ridden up, exposing her porcelain skin; as the skin of my forearm touches the skin of her stomach, a cozy warmth spreads through that immediate area, shocking me with it's calm.

Isabella looks at me with wide eyes, her body and mine shifting together ever so slightly. I can feel my lungs burning with every breath I take, my lips tingling as I stare at her.

A flare of pain breaks out again and, before I can stop myself or even think about what is happening, I lean over Isabella, my sweaty forehead touching hers, our eyes locked. We breathe the same hair for a second as the pain in our bodies simmers to a crawling ember, still painful but not as severe.

I lick my lips, wanting for than anything to lean forward and-

I heave out a shuddering breath as my lips graze hers, pleasure shooting through my entire being, my pain all but disappearing and the ache in my chest expanding into a warm feeling running through my veins. I let our lips touch again, reveling in the supple softness of her chaste kiss.

Exhausted, my body relaxes into a state of numbness, my arms moving to wrap around Isabella's shoulders to hold her against me as black begins to swim in front of my vision. I can feel Isabella's slow breaths as her chest expands against mine, one of her tiny hands resting over my heart.

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><p><strong>AN: so...yeah. when i was writing this chapter, i had no idea that this was going to happen. completely unplanned. however, the next chapter is planned and will hopefully answer some of the questions this chapter provided. **

**anyone want to take a guess as to...why any of this chapter happened?**

**be brutally honest. i can take it.**

**~cupcakeriot**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: i do not own Twilight. i do own pumpkin spice cupcakes with pecan cream cheese frosting and candied pecans on top :) trust me, they are phenom.**

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><p><strong>chapter eight<strong>

"_A man must not deny his manifest abilities, for that is to evade his obligations."_

_William Feather _

_Isabella_

Though my eyes are closed and my mind feels heavy, as if waking up from a long slumber, I am aware of many things; the quiet sounds of breathing accompanied by a light snore from my right, a heavy, narrow weight across my hips, warmth radiating one side of my body making the cocoon of blankets and sheets around me almost too hot. Soft puffs of air hit the side of my neck, a burrowing movement against my shoulder.

I remember bits of what had happened last time I was conscious. Waking up to Alice's predictable, perky wake-up knock on my door, her concerned expression when I sat up groaning. That was when I began to feel like the cells of my body were slowly dying.

After my last draining, I'd religiously worn my gloves, ignoring the icy feeling in my fingers and the pangs of hunger in my stomach. The need to drain came much more quickly than I expected - much more quickly than it would have in the human world. But I'd been scared by the amount of life I'd killed the last time; I tortured myself with returning to that courtyard in the night, looking at the destruction I caused.

I'd also avoided Edward - rearranging my days at the Arena, tuning out any talk of him and generally beating myself up inside if my mind wandered to thoughts of his chiseled face and grey-green eyes.

The weight over my hip tightens, becomes heavier and something grips the slight flesh of my hipbone - I am pulled taut to the firm warmth and the air on my neck gets hotter, almost as hot as the searing heat of the pain my body still remembered. My muscles clench in anticipation of the pain, the weight over and beside me drawing me closer still.

The pain.

It was like nothing I'd ever experienced before, more intense than any cramping hunger pang; waves of it crashing over and over my body, paralyzing my mind. I, unfortunately, can recall every second of the pain.

I was foolish to not feed.

Berating myself, I crack my eyes open, automatically searching the massive window; bright orange, flirting pink and flushing purple sky and creamy white clouds paint the sun set, the sun itself taking up over a third of the skyline in hot ocher orange. I've slept all day, it seems.

Quiet murmuring from beside me draws my eyes to the right-

Edward.

His face is innocent in his sleep; brows un-furrowed, serenely blank face, slack mouth taking in air with that soft snore. His strong, pale arm is holding me firmly to him, his chest to my side, his hand gently but unrelenting on my hip. Edward's face is almost buried in the crook of my neck, his nose touching my hair.

I panic for a moment, trying to get out of his tight hold. My hand lands on his forearm, eager to pull it off me - one more inch and Edward will be touching the skin of my stomach where my shirt has ridden up in my sleep.

Edward doesn't budge and I find myself thankful that I chose to wear a long sleeved t-shirt to sleep.

It is then that my mind catches up to my body's actions and I process the skin-on-skin contact of my hand on his arm.

My hands feel toasty warm, so different from the icy numb feeling they'd been for the last week. I very cautiously take my hand away from his arm and towards my face, shocked to find delicate swirls of dark black designs just above the nail of each of my fingers. The designs are maybe half an inch tall and wide and are perfectly proportioned and equal on each finger. I rub at one of them, thinking it's ink but the design stays. That's when I see the faint outline of a dotted circle on each of the knuckles of my middle fingers. Both are just a shade or two darker than my skin.

Anxiety overrides my system and my entire body begins to tremble; my mind frantically tries to recall information. How did these get here? How did Edward end up in my bed? Why are my hands warm - did I do the unthinkable and drain a person?

"Shhh," a deep voice whispers into my skin. I slide my eyes over to meet Edward's, his expression extremely concerned as he pushes hair off my forehead and rubs my hip soothingly.

"Don't touch me," I warn him as my shirt moves more with his movement, revealing an inch more of skin.

Edward raises a brow and continues his movements. "It's okay."

I sit up, harshly shoving his body away from mine, and scoot to the side, wrapping my arms around my torso, hiding my hands under my arms. "It's not okay. I could kill you."

Edward snorts. "I highly doubt that."

I glower at him, silently challenging him. He saw what happened in that courtyard - why would he even bother doubting that I could kill him? I kill everything else I touch.

Edward glares right back, accepting the challenge and raising his hand to my neck. I flinch away from him, my hair swinging over to hide my skin.

"Get out."

"No," he whispers, moving my hair aside and ever so lightly touching the tips of his fingers to the column of my throat. A small zing of electricity raises the hair on the back of my neck, making me gasp out and shiver from the feeling - the shock and the foreign sense of pleasure.

"Get out," I bite out, hating that I sound breathless. I swing my legs over the side of the bed and go to stand beside the window, the sun almost gone completely from the sky leaving the clouds around it more blue and purple.

Edward say's nothing, his eyes trained on my hands intently. I am quick to hide them behind my back, ignoring his questioning stare.

I pay avid attention to his face, noting the reluctance in his expression and the heat of his eyes. He is sitting up, his shirt wrinkled from a day and bed but he doesn't appear harmed in any way. If anything, he seems more alive than I've ever seen him.

I touched him. Edward should be cold and lifeless by now yet he is breathing and staring at me like I am the answer to a riddle he hasn't been able to figure out.

"Why won't you leave?" I whisper, furrowing my brows and leaning my back against the window.

"Why do you want me to?" he counters, standing and stretching his arms over his head with a groan; his shirt rides up on his abdomen slightly and my face get's hot.

"Are you always going to answer a question with a question?"

Edward shrugs again. "Are you always going to have so many questions?"

I know the answer - of course I will. Nothing about Olympus makes any real sense. It's hidden but obviously ships pass through it all the time. It's both a city and a countryside, both having a rocky, white beach. It's cold because it's winter but the Pacific ocean is a tropical climate that doesn't harbor cold, yet snow is on the ground.

I sigh, sinking down to the floor beneath the window, my knees to my chest and my arms cradled in my hands. "What happened?"

Edward is silent for a beat, slowly moving to sit against the bed across from me. "I'm not sure, Bella but-"

"Bella?"

Edward's eyes widen and the tips of his ears turn red; his hand glides through his messy hair and he avoids my eyes. "Ah, yes."

I feel my brows raise and bite the corner of my mouth. I'd never actually had a nickname before and I did like the sound of Bella. It seemed to fit me better than Isabella ever could.

Choosing to ignore this new development, I instead ask another question. "What do you last remember?"

"Pain."

I feel my eyes widen. He felt it too? "How-"

Edward sighs and looks at me more intensely than he ever has - it nearly takes my breath away. "We're connected, Bella."

I know, deep inside, that he's right.

Edward and I make our way to the house that Athena keeps on school property to find answers. Athena isn't the least bit surprised when she invites us in from the cold - instead, she ushers us to sit in front of a flaming fire in her living room and excuses herself, coming out a few moments later with a tray of small finger foods and a canister of what looks to be hot chocolate.

Part of me is amused by the entire picture. Who knew that one of the most important Goddesses liked mini Panini, tiny biscotti's and gooey chocolate chip cookies? She would make the best host in the human world and it occurs to me that maybe Athena had a hand in creating some of the social customs around the world.

Athena looks up at me knowingly with a small wink as she passes Edward and I cups of the thickest, most delicious white chocolate hot chocolate I've ever had. It warms my insides from the cold along with the fire.

As we snack and drink, Athena tentatively fills us in on what she thinks happened, scolding me for not feeding my power when I felt the need. "Now, while I'm not completely sure why Edward didn't drop dead when he kissed you-"

This was news to me and judging by Edward's pink ears, it was something that he didn't want to share. Instantly, my high heart drops; Edward didn't think I was worthy of him. I couldn't find it in myself to disagree.

Athena continues on, pointedly ignoring the uncomfortable look on Edward's face. "I'm sure it has something to do with his own gift," she tells me, not elaborating though I am overly curious. I should not be considering his embarrassment over kissing me. I wasn't even aware for my first kiss - and probably my last. "I will consult with the Fates later on, when they are available to me. I suggest you, Edward, keep a close eye on yourself and come to me immediately if you're feeling rather….drained. Isabella, monitor yourself as well. I'm wondering if you will last longer at this point after feeding on Edward's energy."

As soon as we are out of Athena's house, I left Edward, walking quickly through the very edge of the forest, ignoring his voice calling after me.

If he was ashamed of kissing me, then he could be. It didn't change my solitary plans that I'd made a long time ago - live alone, die alone, leave the world without a whisper of my presence. I certainly didn't force Edward to kiss me and until thirty minuets ago, I wasn't even aware of the faint tingling of my lips.

Edward could have his kiss back. I didn't want it.

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><p><strong>AN: happy with the direction this chapter went; all my thanks goes to my readers and my awesome beta/pre-reader IvySnow!**

**be brutally honest.**

**~cupcakeriot**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: i do not own Twilight. i do own fantastic spice cake muffins with a honey cinnamon glaze - yes, muffins are the uglier cousins of cupcakes!**

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><p><strong>chapter nine<strong>

"_No, this trick won't work...How on earth are you ever going to explain in terms of chemistry and physics so important a biological phenomenon as first love?"_

_Albert Einstein_

_Edward_

If I was told a month and a half ago that I would be in love with a girl who liked to run away from me, I would have denied it - that I would be in love, that is. Love wasn't something I saw in my cards, ever, and the emotions and instincts that Isabella conjured into my system felt so much more than just love.

I was completely enamored.

And she runs away.

Frustration doesn't even begin to describe how I feel.

"You just have to kiss her, man," Emmett tells me, grinning like the fool that he is. These past few days - since Isabella ran from me outside of Athena's cottage - Emmett had been trying to convince me that the only way I'd ever win Isabella over was if I "pushed that girl against the wall and kissed the ever-loving shit out of her". His words, not mine.

To my dismay, Jasper seemed to agree with him but suggested I take her somewhere private to show my affection.

I was surrounded by loons. For Emmett, his methods probably worked with Rosalie - she was beautiful, but incredibly stubborn and often rude. Emmett's method was perfect…for her. Jasper' own method with Alice was much the same - Alice was a gentle, excitable person who would have accepted nothing less than a grand gesture.

But what kind of girl is Isabella?

"Fuck off," I sigh, reaching up and pulling a pillow over my face. Emmett laughs, just like he does every time I tell him to fuck off. He snatches my pillow and I show him my middle finger.

"Pretend I'm Isabella!"

I look at the big oaf like he's lost his mind. "What the fuck are you-"

"Hear me out!" he interrupts, holding his hands before him. "Maybe if you practice what to tell her, it'll be easier for you to actually do it. And, if I must say it, I'm hot stuff. You would only be so lucky as to-"

"You're a moron."

Jasper agrees, slapping Emmett on the back of the head before turning to me. "We need to get going,"

Yes, we did.

Today was the first meeting for the new heirs and was located in Olympus city. From what I've been told - which isn't much - the meetings were designed to test the heirs for qualifications in front of their sires. All I knew about the entire ordeal was that the Fates would be there, along with the Gods and Goddesses.

I wasn't looking forward to it.

The three of us make our way down to the center courtyard to wait for our ride. My steps falter when I catch sight of long, dark hair.

Of course she would be coming for this, as well. Isabella was an heir too.

Either she sees me and chooses to ignore my presence or she doesn't notice I am near her - which is almost inconceivable as there is a strong pull from the center of my chest that is leading me closer to her. My hands itch to touch her but I refrain.

Why did she run?

I know the only person with an answer is standing before me and she couldn't care less if I was there. She keeps her eyes down as she murmurs a response to Alice or Rosalie. They stand slightly in front of her, almost protectively.

As I step closer, Rosalie shoots me a glare that would have made lesser men cry. Immediately, before I can process why, I am taking three quick steps back. Rosalie appears satisfied and I realize that she made me move.

Damn.

Alice and Rosalie are the best of bodyguards - they don't let me get close to Isabella for almost half of the day. Now, however, they can't do anything but stand beside their sires.

I am aware of so many things now - of the seven heirs lined up in an even row, of the Gods standing directly behind us, of the Fates clasping hands before us and of the faint trembling of Isabella's body.

The Fates are odd women - their hair is aged and brittle and white but their faces are pale and young. They share dark eyes and willowy bodies and knowing smiles directed towards the heirs.

The building we are located in is near the Arena; it's old and worn down but spacious and open, one large studio of light wooden floors and various windows and sunroofs scattered about. It is closer to night than it is to day and I know it is because of the heirs of Apollo and Artemis.

Behind the Fates there are several objects - a boulder, a large aquarium of water, a pile of wooden tender, a few crates of seemingly healthy animals and many buckets full of delicate flowers and plants. I swallow when I see the bright red roses, knowing that they are for Isabella.

I want more than anything to take her from this place.

But I can't.

This has to be done.

The Fates are just the first test and by far the easiest.

The first heir the Fates beckon is Emmett. His face is serious, his brawny body tense with foreign nerves. The women smile at him, the one in the middle seeming most bored, the one on the right looking from Emmett to Rosalie and back. The Fate on the left motions for Emmett to begin and without pause, he does.

I've only seen Emmett use his abilities once or twice and both were to show off for Rosalie. The first was when we were younger and afraid of the dark.

Emmett straightens his back and seems to take deep breathes and, before anyone can truly see exactly how it happened, his hands are glowing bright, blinding white. Though the room was not dim before, his light reaches every corner, burning my eyes. I feel Isabella flinch back and I wonder if she feels a draw to Emmett's energy.

The Fates, all at once, motion for Emmett to stop and without much effort at all, he does.

"We understand you have another," the Fate on the left states with a raised brow. Her sisters look both pleased and wary at the same time.

Emmett grins his normal asshole smile and rubs his hands together. "Allow me, ladies."

The second time I saw Emmett use his power was when he was bragging to Rosalie that he could lift a tree from the ground. He did - and it wasn't a small tree.

Emmett saunters over to the boulder and, using one hand, lifts it from the floor. One of the Fates nod and Emmett moves to resume his position in line in front of Apollo. I don't miss the proud smile that Apollo shares with his son.

"Daughter of Poseidon," the middle Fate calls out, her voice just as bored and lifeless as before.

Alice quickly dances over to the aquarium, her face light and eager. Her fingers wiggle and suddenly the water is gracefully swimming in the air in an arc over her head. She moves her hand in a slight circle and the water begins to revolve around her, clear and smooth.

"Can you breathe in the water?"

I don't catch which Fate asks because Alice is moving the water into a tight sphere and lowering it onto her head, breathing without air for several minuets before the Fates ask her to stop again. When she moves the water back into the aquarium, her hair is dry, the water having been drawn back into the glass container with the rest of it.

"Son of Ares."

I struggle not to glare at James when he moves away from the line. I knew, of course, that James was exceptionally powerful but I was unsure as to what his exact ability was. I should have guessed fire; James brings the pile of wood to flaming life, making it roar loudly. He looks over his shoulder towards Isabella and winks as he makes it flame brighter.

The Fates dismiss him before I can act on the very powerful urge to shock the life right out of him. He's way too cocky for a Demi-God.

"Son of Zeus."

I allow my eyes to dart in Isabella's direction and I don't fail to notice the way the Fate on the right smiles brightly at her sisters before I step forward.

I wonder what they'll have me do as they haven't laid anything out for me to show my ability with. When is see that they don't plan on directing me into action, I close my eyes and draw the ions in the air into my body.

Almost instinctively, I spread the fingers of my right hand wide, feeling the electricity crackle on my palm and through the spaces between my fingers. The atoms gather and form a rather large lightening bolt; my fingers grip it tightly as the lighting in the room dims in brightens in an unstable pattern.

After a stunned moment, the Fates nod mutely at me and I allow the bolt to fizzle out. I turn towards the line and let my eyes meet my fathers; Zeus eyes me with critical appraisal, nodding slightly at me.

It doesn't escape me that I somehow managed to bring his signature weapon to this room without much thought on my part.

"Daughter of Aphrodite."

Rosalie sashes forward, stopping mere feet away from the Fates, closer than the rest of us had dared to go. I suppose she was letting the Fates admire her beauty as she steps away from them after a moment and moves to one of the caged animals - the fox.

Rosalie stands over the cage, catching the eyes of the fox who stares at her transfixed, not even flinching when his cage opens up. Rosalie hums to the animal and he creeps out of the metal confines, slinking close to the ground, tail swishing as his eyes remained locked on Rosalie. She murmurs something to him and he is immediately jumping over the other cages and racing around the room, returning to Rosalie the second she snaps her fingers.

She spares no glance to the Fates after she locks the fox back into his cage and moves to stand in front of Aphrodite.

"Son of Athena."

The gift Jasper has is not as noteworthy as others but it suits him. The bored looking fate secures a wide black blindfold on his face and leads him in several circles. "Find the white rose."

Jasper breaths in deeply, twitching his fingers, and maneuvers himself towards the bucket of red roses. His hand reaches to the middle and he plucks out a single white rose, handing it to the Fate on the right with his blindfold still on.

"Daughter of Hades."

I feel snips of worry claw their way through my mind as I watch Isabella take several careful steps towards the Fates. Of all the female Gods here, she is by far the most skittish. With shaking hands, she shreds her gloves, revealing her tiny pale hands with the new dark markings just under her first knuckles.

Isabella moves over to the buckets of roses and other plants and, with an anguished face, touches one finger to the tip of a bloody red rose. Almost instantly, the rose coils into itself, fading to charcoal black and bringing the other roses around it to the same state. Without pause, her hand moves over to the other bucket, draining it just as quickly.

The entire time, her face never relaxes, her eyes never move from the blank spot of the wooden floor they are glued to.

"That's enough," the Fate on the left says quietly, sharing a loaded look with her sisters.

I swallow hard when Isabella is standing beside me again - my eyes strain to look at her, to make sure she is okay. I, however, can't miss the faint glow to her smooth, milky skin or the steadiness of her fingers as she pulls on her gloves.

"Daughter of Artemis."

By now, the sun has set and the large moon is rising from the horizon. It is only fitting that we begin with the heir of the sun and end with the heir of the moon.

Esme is a quiet God, a year or so older than the rest of us, with curling caramel hair and wide hazel eyes. As far as I know, Esme keeps a cottage with another son of Athena somewhere between the Academy and Olympus.

She moves gracefully to the caged animals, announcing that the red-eyed rabbit has a heart condition. Esme holds one hand above her, towards the moon, and gently touches the rabbit. The white fur seems to become more fluffy, the animal suddenly bounding around his it's roomy cage.

With Esme as the last to show her gifts, the Fates dismiss the room with a synchronized, "That will be all".

Isabella is too quiet on the way back, hunched in her seat and turned tightly towards the window. I am so fed up with her avoidance.

She can't ignore me - she can't ignore _this_. Not the pull between us or the way her body unconsciously leans towards me or the way she fights her eyes to not look at me.

And I won't let her. Not anymore.

When we exit the car, I make sure that I hang in the back of the group, pulling up the rear as we make our way towards the dormitories. Just as Isabella is about to turn to her building, I grab her as gently as I can around the waist, pulling her to my chest as I lean us both against the large oak outside of the girl's dorm. She doesn't struggle against me - rather, she seems frozen.

I slowly wrap both of my arms around her, hugging her to me as securely as I dare. My lips brush against her ear as I whisper to her. "Can't you feel this…pull?"

Mutely, she nods. I sigh in relief.

That's enough for now.

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><p><strong>AN: it has come to my attention that a few of my lovely readers were concerned about Emmett's heritage - worry not. to clear up - hopefully - future questions i have posted an outline of the _Gods characters on my profile page. _check it out!**

**all that said, Edward is finally fed up...**

**thanks to my awesome beta IvySnow for her attention to detail and for taking her time to read over this chapter!**

**be brutally honest. i can take it.**

**~cupcakeriot  
><strong>


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: i do not - nor will i ever - own Twilight. sure, i write about the supernatural...but my vampires will never sparkle like Fae do! this week, i don't own any cupcakes either; i do, however, own a delicious pint of Ben&Jerry's "Coffee Heath Bar Crunch" which won't exist at all soon.**

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><p><strong>chapter ten<strong>

"_I do not love the bright sword for it's sharpness, nor the arrow for it's swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend"_

_J.R.R. Tolkien_

_Isabella_

I don't know why I had ever bothered resisting the insistent pull that the son of Zeus had on me - perhaps it was a number of things relating to the very sudden circumstances I had found myself in. In less than a month I had been claimed the daughter of Hades, been tested, vigorously trained at the Arena, dealt with the new stresses of being a considered heir - all the while being assaulted by this magnetic pull to someone who was undoubtedly powerful.

I relished in the knowledge that I wasn't the only one who found my - for lack of a better word - evasive behavior acceptable. Rosalie, who is the daughter of Aphrodite and Ares, was sympathetic to my plight. She understood wholeheartedly that I was simply being overwhelmed by all the changes in my life and that "really, is it so hard for boys to understand the need to process?".

Rosalie was a Godsend, along with Alice who had turned into the first best friend I'd ever had.

It was the daughters that I turned to on the night Edward had pulled me under the oak tree and whispered in my ear. The night I finally accepted that not only was Edward something that I needed, but something that I wanted in return.

They had listened intently through my emotional tears and gently counseled me, Rosalie giving me the wisest advice I'd ever heard.

"Don't fight your nature - in your gifts or the natural procession of your relationships."

Rosalie had very much turned into the big sister I'd never had and while I had been intimidated by her stunning beauty, she had such a modest way of being that I found it very hard to resist her charm. Later, I learned that it was Rosalie's hypnosis that drew people to her, making her wary of the intentions of those around her; not only did her physical beauty draw them in, but so did her gift.

At the moment, Rosalie is helping Alice carefully wrap my hands in that special tape the fighters use.

Today is my first match and I am here several hours early so Andre can squeeze in some last minuet coaching advice. Alice had reluctantly admitted to me last night that she was nervous for me and Rosalie had agreed wholeheartedly; though they had never attended Arena matches, both had heard the stories and were appropriately anxious for my well being. I was much smaller than all of the fighters at the Arena and that naturally put me at a disadvantage. I was also instructed to wear long sleeves and long pants because the Gods feared that a touch to my skin would incapacitate my opponent - the added coverage of skin would cause me to overheat quickly and put me in another disadvantage.

Andre had tried to defend me, pointing out that my gift only came from a touch from my hand but the Gods had refused, Hades included. And I understood. It touched a sore spot inside me, but I was able to separate my own feelings from the concern of safety of the heirs.

As I step out of my changing room, my eyes settle on Edward.

My mind drifts back to the sensation of being held in his strong arms and flashes of similar moments assault me; his hands touching mine through gloves, his meeting me after my classes, the deep conversations we'd had over the past few days. I'd grown so accustomed to his presence that I worried over how I would fare if he ever left.

Edward's smile doesn't reach his eyes. He, too, has a match today but I know he doesn't worry for himself. Andre is busy checking mats and grumbling under his breath, tension apparent in his jerky movements.

"Nervous?" Edward asks me, leaning down slightly so that his quiet voice tickles my ear. I've yet to let him any closer though I am aware that we've shared a kiss.

I don't know how to answer him. I'm not nervous for myself - if I am injured today, I will consider it retribution for all the energy I've stolen throughout my life. I am so aware that the Gods will be watching my match closely though I have no idea why my training in this area is so important to them.

"Isabella!"

My eyes snap over to Andre who is jogging towards me, his face the most serious I've ever seen it. He begins speaking, his words rolling over each other as his hands fly about, gesturing this way and that. "We know you're small but I think we can use it to our advantage. Your height just means that you'll be quicker than Eric and you'll be able to dodge under him. You will have to be careful about the sleeves though."

"Why?"

"Grabbing hands," Edward says dryly, tugging lightly on the sleek black sleeve covering my arm.

I nod sagely; I knew the sleeves would hinder me in another way. But hopefully Andre was right. Maybe I had speed that my opponent didn't have.

Andre instructs me through my warm up stretch and the subsequent routine that follows - using the punching bag, dropping into fast rolls on the mats, making sure my taped feet don't slip as they dance across the blue leather.

"Another set," Andre orders, his eyes focused on the impact my fists are making. I feel so weak and small in the Arena and I am; I'm clearly not meant to be here and I think that was what the Gods had wanted.

They wanted my defeat.

I wasn't going to give them the satisfaction.

Thinking this, I throw my next jab harder and Rosalie - who had taken to holding the punching bag in place of Alice - stumbles a bit. I wince as my knuckle protests the strain.

Two warms hands are on my shoulders, sliding down my upper arms and gripping my elbows. My body automatically tenses although I know from the sudden jolt of electricity that Edward is standing behind me. His voice is close to my ear, gently correcting my stance both physically and vocally. I nod to him, breathless for different reasons than before and wait to move until he is no longer touching me.

I'm ready.

Eric is the son of a Demi-God heir of Hermes - his hair is inky black and greasy, his face still carrying baby-fat and his eyes beady. He is dressed in bright red shorts and nothing else save for the tape around his hands and feet. He is nearly half a foot taller than me, shorter than Edward by four or five inches but still, his height is intimidating even if the lack of definition of his muscles is not.

He leers at me, taking in the sleek black gear that covers every inch of my body except for my face. My hair is tied back tightly in a braid that is twisted up into a bun.

Andre is dressed in the typical referee clothing, a whistle between his lips as he steps forward, asking for Eric and I to shake hands. I hold out my gloved hand but Eric only stares at it, sneering at me before stepping back. I see Andre throwing a glare at Eric and smiling sympathetically at me.

A sharp ding rings out and the first round starts. Eric wastes no time in charging for me, his fist hitting me hard in the sternum, knocking the breath out of me. My body folds in on itself and a heavy hand hits between my shoulder blades. I hear several people calling out my name as I lay on my side - Edward's is the loudest, the most furious.

I swing my right leg in an arc in front of myself, catching Eric's ankles and causing him to fall hard. My body is moving automatically, my fists quick to hit the most sensitive places of his body as I stand and circle him. The bell echoes out before Eric can retaliate and I know, despite the throbbing of my shoulders, that I've won the first round.

I get lucky during the second round, able to use my height to duck and attack and move quickly out of the way. I keep Eric chasing after me until the bell rings again and I hear the announcement of my second win.

My relief doesn't last long. As soon as the final round begins, I find myself on my back with a heavy weight cutting off the air to my lungs. Several hard hits are thrown at the side of my head and black swims around my vision.

I struggle to move, trying to twist my body enough to get air but the more I struggle, the harder I am hit. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I wonder how Eric is getting away with such blunt rule-breaking and realize that the fight was supposed to be rigged in his favor.

Just as I am fading out from a mixture of pain and lack of air, Eric's weight disappears and I hear the sickening crunch of a bone breaking.

"Edward! Edward, get off him man!"

"Fucking no!" Edward's voice is loud and raging. I hear more sounds of skin beating into more skin and the agonized groans of Eric. I can't bring myself to open my eyes but I can only imagine that Edward has some twisted sense of defense running through his head.

Andre's voice breaks through the stunned silence of the crowd and he orders Emmett and Jasper to get Edward out of the Arena before calling the medic group to move me - carefully - to my locker room.

"I think Edward loves you," Alice whispers to me a short time later. I don't know if she realizes that I can hear her as she continues on. "He was so mad, Isabella. Emmett had to hold him back but somehow, he got free and then he was on Eric….I've never seen anyone so angry before…." Her voice fades out along with my awareness.

I come in and out of consciousness several times; the first is when Alice greets Esme into the room. I hear the sharp creak of the window being opened and some shuffling before a warmness floods my veins and sleep takes me again. Voices wake me briefly again as I feel myself being lifted and carried somewhere - I know it is not Edward who bears my weight because the humming in my chest is empty.

The last time I wake, it is to a soft murmuring voice close to my face and jolting electricity on my skin. "Bella, wake up,"

I hear myself groan. A hand - Edward's hand- moves to cradle my face, molding to my cheek. I nuzzle into his palm, feeling the silent vibrations of his chuckle through his strong fingers.

My eyes flutter slightly and I meet the unique grey-green of his eyes. "Welcome back, Bella,"

I nod, my face still in his palm. His other hand comes to stroke the side of my face, the bond holding me to him simply humming with satisfaction.

Did he love me?

In all honesty, it wasn't a far-fetched idea - not with how he'd been acting towards me and not how I'd been responding to him. I knew without a doubt that I was falling for him or already in love with him but I'd never expect him to reciprocate such feelings.

I'd never even considered being in love, either.

"How long?"

"Just a few hours. Esme came to heal you while I was…otherwise engaged."

I raise a brow at him and watch as the tips of his ears turn a light shade of pink. He seems so young in this moment. "I may have-"

"May have?"

Edward sighs, exasperated. "Okay, I was getting a lecture from Andre about Arena protocol. But he seriously couldn't have expected me to stand by while that scum-sucking son-of-a-bitch was-" Edward couldn't finish his sentence, his face a stormy cloud. The lights above us flicker twice as he takes a deep breath to calm himself.

"You beat Eric up," I state calmly, watching as Edward nods once, his eyes trained on my face as his fingers trace the bridge of my nose and underneath my eye.

"I did. He deserved it."

We are quiet for a moment, my face pressed to his palm and his chin resting on the edge of my bed. Edward's eyes lighten to a very playful shade of light green-grey and he grins nervously at me. The change of attitude is startling but as soon as he speaks, I forget everything but his words.

"Bella, would you go somewhere with me tomorrow?"

Without hesitating, I answer back. "Yes."

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><p><strong>AN: so sorry for the delayed update! my semester started last monday and, as you can imagine, i was a bit preoccupied with everything that entails. **

**huge smiles for my pre-reader/beta IvySnow for all of her hard work!  
><strong>

**i would like suggestions, though, as to where Edward should take Bella in the next chapter. of course i have something in mind but i think it would be interesting to know what all my lovely readers would like to read!**

**be brutally honest!**

**~cupcakeriot**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: i do not own Twilight nor will i ever. this time, i do own double fudge cupcakes with vanilla icing, dark chocolate drizzle and chocolate sprinkles.**

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><p><strong>chapter eleven<strong>

"_A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous."_

_Ingrid Bergman _

_Edward_

I wasn't one to be nervous - it wasn't my typical style. I didn't do the whole pacing my anxiousness out thing and yet here I was, pacing, pinching my nose and pulling on my hair. Bella made me nervous. A nervous wreck, if I'm being honest.

It's not that she's unpredictable - because she's not - it's that I can't get a good read on anything about her; her body language, her expressions, not even the words she speaks. She doesn't lie but I don't think she's ever completely honest with anyone.

I want her to be honest with me. Some part of my craves her trust and affection while another part of me craves her pale flesh in the most carnal of ways and yet another part of me longs to protect her from everything Olympus represents. I have trouble sorting out which part of myself to follow - the romantic fool, the lusting man or the protective beast.

Yesterday the beast won.

My mind shies away from reliving that horrible scene - seeing Bella being hit and then brutally beaten against Arena fighting regulations and being held back by Emmett. In my effort to save Isabella - once free from the gargantuan dumbass - I may have broken Eric's arm and a few ribs but I couldn't find it in myself to have one ounce of remorse. He deserved everything I did to him and more. Even now, I want to seek him out and finish the job but I hold myself back because I can almost feel Isabella coming to me.

The binding invisible rope that ties me to her hums quietly to life, instantly relaxing my tense body; I stop pacing and breathe out a cleansing sigh, ions crackling around me as I release my unconscious hold on them.

I've known that Isabella needed to see this place since I'd kissed her. My mother, Hera, had had the beachside cabin cultivated specifically for her children to have a place that Zeus was unable to find. Hera knew of his pressurized ambitions on his children and did everything she could to shield us from it, even creating a hide-away that literally hid our essence from our father. I hoped with everything in me that Isabella would be able to find solace there too.

I'd asked her to meet me around eight o'clock, just when the sun was setting, so I could lead her away without anyone the wiser. Jasper had some idea of where I was going, but as I had never shown him the cabin, he wasn't sure of it's location - I did, however, leave a way to contact me if there was any kind of emergency.

Standing under the large oak tree, I watch as Isabella steps out of the girl's dormitory dressed in all black; motorcycle boots, tight grey jeans, a worn leather jacket similar to the one I'd first seen her in and an odd pair of gloves. She walks up to me nearly nervously, the bond between us growing tighter - I have to suppress the urge to kiss her, my mind racing to imagine the difference between the cool air and her warmth.

"Where are we going?" she asks immediately, her light grey eyes roaming my face. I wonder if she has noticed that most Gods tend to demand rather than ask; only out of necessity did Gods ever ask a question.

I grin at her, unable to stop it, and shake my head, instead holding out my hand for her to take, my body almost begging for the contact even though our skin will not be touching. And then I wonder if the last time I touched her skin was a fluke - could this docile creature have the ability to kill me?

The difference I feel being around her is so instant, so odd; I feel calmer, more honest, happier in general. Isabella takes my hand warily and I lead her through the woods behind me, tugging gently on her hand when she hesitates in her steps and helping guide her over valleys of rocks and under low branches.

Though the cabin is only a mile or two away from the Academy - hidden well on a low peninsula that leads a gulf lake into the ocean - I learn much about Isabella during our hand-held journey. And the more I learn, the more I am horrified by her history and awed at her mental strength.

I feel such anger towards the family she was put with at birth - and why was that a necessary step then. Anger at their indifference, at the hate they oozed towards her, at their non-support during her childhood and the inevitable mental health issues that were summoned by her loneliness in dealing with her gift.

But Isabella moves onto her love of art, especially that with charcoal, and her favorite books and music and movies and I am distracted, trying to dissect every sentence that falls from her plump lips.

She likes contemporary science fiction but has a soft spot for romances featuring damsels in distress. She secretly enjoys comical movies but tends to lean towards psychological thrillers more often than not. She loves the loud instruments but also the soft, intelligent lyrics.

Isabella was, in short, a being of contradictions - all of which filtered away from her fairly contradictory and ironic gift.

"Are we there yet?" she sighs, quick to cut me off before I can ask yet another question.

I let out a short laugh and nod, assisting her over a small fallen tree. "Less than a minuet," I promise, squeezing her lean forearm.

The cabin, I know, is a startling site after being in the forest - describing it as a cabin is even stretching the truth. It stands at two stories and is made of smooth slate stone, pane-less windows and rare carbonized wood accents, including the coded front and back doors. Surrounding the cabin is a maze of overgrown flowery gardens, large boulders and an enchanting spell cast by Rhea and Hera that is meant to throw off unwanted guests from coming near the property. I'm sure the long-standing secrecy of the cabin is because of the spell's side-effect of memory loss.

I lead Bella through the garden maze, monitoring her reaction from the corner of my eye. Her face is youthful in her awe, her mouth open slightly and her grey eyes wide.

"My mother's," I tell her as we walk up the short steps of the porch. I lay my hand on the carbonized wood where I know a fingerprint scanner is hidden underneath the thin paneling. With a beep, a small key pad reveals itself by the door knob; I type in my personalized code and wait for the loud clicking indicating the door is unlocked.

Bella watches with keen eyes, glancing up at me with a raised brow when I open the door. "Heavy security for a cabin."

"Hera takes precautions for her children," I supply, shrugging out of my heavy leather jacket. I hang it, along with Bella's, on the built-in coat rack beside the door. "Thirsty?"

Bella nods, looking around at the jewel toned walls and the carefully coordinated décor of the living room and kitchen. I fill a glass of water for each of us and take her on a quick tour of the cabin; the rooms, the basement that was made for emergencies, the bathrooms. Soon, we are sitting side by side on the couch; I have my left arm resting along the back and Bella is curled up on the opposite side, knees under chin and her eyes locked on mine.

"Why did you bring me here?"

I frown, taking in her question. There were, of course, many places I could have taken her in Olympus - to the Death District or Poseidon's shore or the old cinema in the Demi-God District - but what I truly wanted was to take her somewhere she would be able to relax. In hindsight, I probably should have run my plans past Emmett or Jasper for approval as they had both managed to secure Gods in the same caliber of Isabella. Rank wise, Bella, Alice and I were on the same level, Rosalie coming next and finally Jasper and his brother, Esme and Emmett as the low-level heirs.

But what did rank have to do with-

Was I wooing her? Is that I what I was attempting to do? How had I not realized until this moment that I was genuinely trying to win her over? It was a shock to my system to finally process that I wasn't the same anger-driven aloof Edward from a few months ago.

I didn't mind the change.

Knowing I hadn't answered her, I turn my gaze back and smile effortlessly, putting my personal change on a shelf to analyze later. "You should have a safe place too," I tell her, completely somber once the words are out of my mouth. "It seems like Hades is very seriously considering crowning you as his heir, Bella - and some people aren't going to like it." This, too, was true - while Hades didn't have many children, it wasn't a secret that his offspring had very low-level gifts. Isabella was clearly an abnormally and that instantly made her a target for her siblings.

A crease forms between her brows. "What people?"

It dawns on me that Bella might not be aware of many things regarding her family and I instantly feel bad for saying something I probably wasn't supposed to say. But I can't lie to her. "Your brothers and sisters."

Bella's mouth drops open; she begins to stutter. "W-what? Y-you ha-have to be ki-"

"I'm not," I assure her, taking my arm off the back of the couch and putting my elbows onto my knees, my head dropping into my hands. I groan. "You didn't know."

"I don't know a lot of things," Bella whispers forlornly. I'm surprised to feel her tiny hand on my shoulder and my head turns so I can look at her. Her grey eyes are sincere when she speaks again. "I'm glad you're being honest with me. Do you-" Bella pauses, biting her lip and huffing through her nose. "Do you know how many siblings I have?"

"No," I sigh. "But I do know for sure of one."

"Will you tell me?"

"I don't know much," I say, reluctant to speak of her family. Hades and his were always a mystery to the other Gods - he kept to himself for the most part and was fiercely protective over what he considered his.

Bella sits back against the arm of the couch, curling her legs beneath her and hugging a pillow to her chest. "That's fine."

"Her name is Victoria," I begin. "As far as I know, she was the girl born before you, maybe thirty or so years ago. Hades never named her heir, for whatever reason. I see her sometimes with James but other than that, I don't know anything else."

Bella nods thoughtfully, her nose scrunching up adorably. "What does she look like?"

My mind filters through all the daughters and sons I've seen throughout my life and I shake my head, shrugging. "I guess she looks like you," I tell Bella uncertainly.

We fell asleep.

That much is apparent when I open my eyes to dawn breaking under the horizon. I'm aware of so many things instantly as I draw in my first conscious breath of the day; warmth covering my front, my hand grasping something soft but firm and my nose inhaling the sweet smell of pomegranate and some flower.

My body is curled around Bella, my arm holding her tightly to me with my hand clutching her hip, my nose buried in her messy mahogany hair. She is still asleep, her body instinctively pressing closer to mine.

What a way to wake up, I think to myself, completely content to stay where I am. I have no thoughts to move until a breathy sigh falls from Bella's lips.

I tense. "Edward," she breaths, pressing closer to me, her fingers twitching but still encased by the odd gloves; thick knitted grey wool from her forearm to her top knuckles, the fingers a gauzy material of the same color. They remind me of leg warmers.

My hand falls away from her hip and I sit up slowly. Bella frowns in her sleep, her back rolling to cover where I once lay; a subtle pout forms on her lips.

The feelings rushing through me are staggering - a flood of warmth, happiness, contentment, lust and protectiveness all cresting over each other. If I had any doubts about my feelings before, they were snuffed out in this moment.

As I watch her dream, her eyes flicking behind closed lids, I wonder when I will have the chance to approach Hades about this. As the son of a major God, it would be considered a great respect to ask permission to - what? marry, date, love - his daughter before actually doing so.

But I don't want to wait for that. I want to hold her to me, fuse us together until we are one being. My obsessive thoughts should scare me, but they don't - they invigorate me.

I want to kiss her again.

What was it that I thought the moment I first saw her? I want her?

_I want her._

I want _her _- only her. Forever, if she'll have me. The perks of being immortal have never been so astoundingly amazing until now. I can have her forever.

After Bella wakes up, shyly looking at me from under her lashes, we head over to the Academy. The walk seems much shorter than before, the air still chilly even though it's almost March.

I stand awkwardly beside her in front of the girl's dormitory, watching her as she watches me. Is now when I tell her I love her?

"Thank you," she says, eyes suddenly on her toes. I can barely make out a touch of pink on her cheeks and her blatant femininity makes me feel all the more masculine; I am able to protect her because I am taller, stronger, faster and my build has never been more pride-worthy.

"It was my pleasure," I say, willing her mentally to just look at me. The bond between us is insistent and I tire of fighting it.

Black fringed grey eyes meet mine, liquid in their warmth. I lean down, bending at the waist and knees until I am nearly eye level with her face, merely inches apart. This close, her skin is stunningly creamy porcelain, her lips flush raspberry red and her eyes carrying flakes of reflective silver. Bella's mouth drops open slightly, her eyes fluttering.

The first touch of lips is gentle and chaste and warm. The second is more, a slight nipping of her top lip, a hesitant tug of my bottom.

"Thank you," I tell her.

"It was my pleasure."

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><p><strong>AN: slightly nervous about this chapter as Bella was conscious for this particular kiss. guesses as to how she'll react? she might surprise you. on another note, it seems like these kids have a knack for waking up together - seems like a habit is forming, no?**

**a round of applause, please, for my awesome pre-reader/beta IvySnow who makes time for me even when she doesn't have it!**

**be brutally honest. i can take it.**

**~cupcakeriot**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: i do not own Twilight - i do own a pint of Ben & Jerry's Peanut Butter Cup icecream that i will be putting on my fudge brownie cupcakes in replacement of frosting. there will be rainbow sprinkles. beware.**

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><p><strong>chapter twelve <strong>

"_Being with you is like walking on a very clear morning - definitely the sensation of belonging there."_

_~Unknown_

_Isabella_

The short distance from what I now refer to as Edward's tree to the doors of my dormitory seems long and nearly painful; walking away from him, no matter how short the separation may be, was beginning to become difficult.

I found I rather liked being in his company.

I also liked the feel of his lips on mine.

I love him.

It's a simple truth that nearly stops my progression inside the building; so true that it nearly weakens my knees; so true I nearly sit down on the sleek marble flooring beside the elevator to mull over it. It wasn't up for debate - there wasn't anything to contradict my feelings towards Edward.

In a blissful haze, I make my way towards my room, foreign happiness filling my body - he made me brighter, more different than I've ever been. I decide that I like the change.

Alice is in my room before I can close the door behind me; she is quick to jump on my bed and beam a smile in my direction. "Tell me about the date!"

"It wasn't a date-"

"Oh your right. Meeting Edward outside of a group and going to a location to spend time together isn't a date. Not at all."

"Sarcasm doesn't become you," my eyes shift uncomfortably. She was completely right - it was a date and a fantastic one at that. "It was fun."

I was hoping the understated answer would satisfy her but, by now, I should have known Alice better. "And?"

"And what?"

Alice's brows lift in disbelief. "Your not going to tell me why you _just now _got back to the dorm." Her tone is flat and so much unlike her shocked face that it's almost comical.

"We fell asleep."

She huffs, laying back on my bed and rolling her eyes. "It's like trying to get information out of a deaf, blind and mute person."

"I've answered your questions!"

"Barely! Three syllable answers is hardly telling me about your date." Alice looks down, realization dawning on her face. "You don't want to tell me."

Even I know that I've hurt her feelings and it makes me feel terrible; Alice had been nothing but welcoming and kind to me the entire time I'd been in Olympus. I sit down beside her and begin to tell her about the entire night in detail, relieved when she jokes about the awkward good-bye.

"As if you've done any better!"

"Oh, please," she laughs. "Jasper and I-"

"I don't want to hear about the dirty deeds-"

By now we're laughing loudly, our stomachs cramping up and sound echoing so loud that we scarcely hear the timid knock on my door. Rosalie pokes her shiny blonde head in, taking in our breathless faces and offering a slightly confused smile. "How was the date?"

This sets off another round of laughter, Rosalie joining in.

The rest of the day is relaxing and filled with very cliché girl-bonding moments. It strikes me how normal I feel with the people of Olympus - how I'd never have been caught dead in my old life helping another girl paint her nails or giggling about boys. I found that normalcy fit me quite well.

That evening I am called down to the dormitory front desk - which is run by retired nymphs, usually - to pick up a message that was waiting for me. My first thought is that Edward had left me something which is foolish because, honestly, Edward wasn't that kind of boy. If he wanted to tell me something, he'd say it in person.

It was to my shock that a black cloaked figure waited with it's head down by the front desk. The cloak was gauzy and made of many layers, a deep hood covering the entirety of it's head; there was a thin layer of fog hovering around it's feet.

Hades had obviously sent someone to me but who?

Cautiously I step closer to the figure; when I am nearly four feet away, it's head slowly rises and dark slate eyes set in a masculine face stare at me. He is fairly handsome with translucent skin - more pale than my own - and dark scruff around his jaw. By his height, which is nearly as tall as Edward, I should have guessed his gender.

"I am Demitri," he tells me in a deep, gravely voice that sounds much older than he appears. "I am a messenger of Hades, Princess Isabella."

Princess? I supposed it was a rather apt, if not loose, description but it still put an uneasy weight in my stomach that I fought to shake off - Hades was known as the king of his realm, King of the Underworld. Of course I would be considered a Princess by his most formal people.

I wasn't sure how I was supposed to acknowledge his station or my own; I opted to shift my weight and nod at him, completely silent. His eyes appraised me quickly, much like Edward often did when he thought I wouldn't notice. Whereas Edward's once-overs made goose-bumps break out across my skin, Demitri's had no affect - probably because I could tell me genuinely meant nothing by it.

"The Queen requests your audience."

I feel my eyes open wide - I was beginning to come to the conclusion that Demitri wasn't from this century or the last; in fact, he was most likely several hundred life times older than me. The words and the way he spoke them said volumes about his history. I was almost positive that not many others besides Demitri referred to me as a Princess or as Hade's wife as the Queen.

I nod my head again, still unsure of how I was supposed to respond. A simple, quiet, "Okay," falls from my mouth and Demitri promptly present's a gloved hand to me. I stare at it for a moment, confused as to why he was offering me his hand.

"The Queen requests your audience," he repeats.

"Now?"

Demitri nods stiffly.

I glance over at the slightly aged nymph sitting behind the desk - Merissa, a wood nymph - and as if she can feel the hesitation rolling off of me, she nods encouragingly at me.

My gloved hand reaches out to touch Demitri's - almost instantly, the room around me begins to haze. I hear my name called out and look behind me; Edward is rushing towards me, grey-green eyes sharp and alarmed. Just before his hand touches my shoulder, the room disappears completely and is replaced by a cheerfully furnished, airy room.

I want to call back to Edward, the bond between us throbbing in panic but my attention is demanded into the present.

A woman dressed in a canary yellow flowing dress sits primly on a white couch, tiny yellow and white rosebuds woven into her dark hair. She regards me with a solemn face, her mint eyes tracing over my face critically.

Demitri stands absolutely still behind me, head back down and seeming to be waiting for something. The woman waves her hand and he disappears.

"Daughter," she says with a warm smile, standing and reaching out to hug me.

As soon as I am in her embrace, an invisible weight lifts from my shoulders and I experience the most intense feeling of joy and warmth - nearly as intense as when Edward had kissed me.

She leans back, her fingers tenderly stroking through my wild hair. "I am Persephone, your mother. Come sit," Persephone leads me to the couch and sits angled towards me, eyes bright and taking in my every movement. "You're beautiful, darling," she says, sighing after a beat and allowing a wary expression to cross her face. "I'm sure you have…questions."

Did I have questions? Yes, of course I did - so many that I could hardly sort them out, an alarming amount relating to Edward though I was positive I could answer those questions myself once I sat down to think about it.

There was a sense of instant trust that I felt sitting beside Persephone - I knew that she wouldn't judge me but would unconditionally love me like mothers were supposed to. But could I ask her the harder questions? It was true that I felt as if I'd known her my whole life - part of me probably always has - but how far did that feeling stretch? And was I willing to risk it for a few answers?

Yes. Of course I was.

"Why…why didn't I grow up in Olympus?"

Persephone studies my face for a moment. "You are so like your father," she smiles slightly, eyes crinkling just a bit in the corners. "Not just in looks, either, though you do favor him remarkably - your eyes, your skin tone, your hair, even your ears. All Hades, my darling. Not much of me," Here a small frown crosses her face but she wipes it off. "You do have my bone structure….I suppose I should answer the question. Darling, you must understand that from the very beginning, we knew you weren't quite normal. My pregnancy with you left me rather drained and it was much, much slower in progression than the others - almost ten months and even then, I appeared to be three months along. You were so very small, Isabella; just the size of your father's hand.

"We were so afraid that we would lose you. Who had ever heard of such a thing? A full-blooded child of Gods being a weakened baby. But your looks were very deceiving. We had a nurse-maid for you, a wood nymph, and that first night she took care of you, you…well, you drained her entire life-force. We kept it quiet, of course, but we had to tell Zeus and Poseidon and with their help, we enlisted the services of a very ancient God who had the gift of sorcery. He cast a charm that masked your truest powers and, to keep them weak, we sent you to a human family."

"But that doesn't explain _why_."

Persephone frowns again, her eyes falling to the wall behind me. "Hades and I feared that if someone learned of your gift, your life would be endangered. We did it to protect you, darling."

This I could understand. What parent doesn't want to protect their child?

"I have a present for you."

I blink up at the Goddess that is my mother. Persephone seems to have a very resilient personality as she seems to completely drop the serious subject from before and embrace something she deems cheerful. A bright smile breaks out across her face and she tells me to wait for a moment, rising gracefully off the couch and disappearing from sight.

In her absence, I ponder my own acceptance of everything that had happened in recently - all the changes in my life, all the emotions I was now experiencing. I had no other explanation for my actions and reactions other than everything felt…right.

I felt right. I felt good and normal and healthy even though my gift was haunting me more frequently and the tiny tattoos on my hands seem to grow another swirl every day.

My life, finally, was right.

Persephone enters the room carrying an ornate silver box about the size of a stuffed bear. I feel my brow furrow as she sets the box in front of me, motioning impatiently for me to open it.

Slowly, I lift the lid, completely shocked when the most adorable creature pokes it's heads out to greet me.

Heads.

Clearly, the creature was a dog - a puppy, to be exact - with slightly curling short hair, jet black and fluffy in it's youth. It's ears were pointed, all six of them, some pairs standing straight, another one laid back and the last a combination of the first two. It's eyes were icy blue, intelligent and innocent; a pink tongue, a grey streak on one forehead.

Persephone lets out a squeal. "Her name is Amynta - the strongest of Ceberus' last litter. Her name is Greek for protector and that is exactly what she will do - like her father, she will protect you just as fiercely as Ceberus has protected Hades. She's completely trained and only two months. Hades and I thought it would be a good welcome home gift."

My mind rushes to catch up. I was the owner of a three-headed dog. Named Amynta. And for whatever reason, I didn't think the three-headed factor was odd - it actually seemed endearing as I watched the heads playfully snap at each other inside the box. "What is a Ceberus?"

"Oh, darling, what are they teaching you in that school?" For a moment, Persephone sounds like one of the mothers I'd grown up watching on television - like on the Brady Bunch or the Waltons. "Ceberus is your father's companion. Hades is famous for two things - his helm and Ceberus."

I nod in understanding even though I don't truly understand. I make a note in my head to ask my Mythology Introductions teacher to clarify this whole ordeal. My eyes stay trained on Amynta, snapping up when Persephone makes a clucking noise and calls out for Demitri.

"I'm afraid I've kept you for too long, darling. But we will visit again soon." She smiles at Demitri as he reaches out for me just as I reach for Amynta, holding her against my chest and marveling in her warmth and solid weight. I am thankful for the gloves on my hands as I let my fingers stroke Amynta's neck gently.

Demitri's transportation is less of a shock this time, the room of the dormitory lobby blurring back into shape along with the nervously pacing figure of Edward and the short line of friend's that I'd tentatively made.

As soon as Edward sees me, he stops and glares at Demitri, taking several quick and angry steps forward. "Where did you take her?" he demands, his nose flaring and his fists clenching; his pale skin seems to grow red, his eyes hard. Lucas puts a firm hand on his shoulder, stopping Edward from coming closer.

"Edward, he's a messenger of Hades. You know that."

Edward's lips press into a thin line as he nods, his eyes shifting over to my startled gaze and softening. He looks appropriately sheepish, the red of his skin fading until only his ears remain pink.

Still beyond shocked, I turn to thank Demitri, stunned when I find that he'd disappeared before I could thank him for his effort. I turn back to the group before me, clutching Amynta to my chest.

"What do you have there?" Alice asks, her eyes landing on the creature in my arms. I smile at her, temporarily forgetting Edward's behavior and introduce Amynta to the group. Rosalie's brows raise and she exchanges a significant gaze with Emmett who in turn glances at Alice in question. Alice ignores both of them, reaching out to pet Amynta's back. "She's precious. We'll have to pick up some things for her when we're in Olympus."

I nod, agreeing completely with her. Already, my three-headed dog has captured my heart.

"Where were you?" I hear Edward ask from beside me, his tone wary and tinged with an unfamiliar edge, almost jealous.

"I was visiting my mother."

Relief washes over his face, soothing the sharp lines of worry on his face. The others had discreetly left by now and Edward leans in closer until we are breathing the same air. "I'm sorry," he says, sounding and looking completely honest. "I don't know what came over me. I just - I came to visit you and then you were leaving with that guy and-"

Edward was jealous of Demitri.

The realization causes a giggle to burst from my mouth, cutting Edward off and making his eyes widen in shock. I try to think back to a time where I had ever giggled before and find none.

Edward joins in, letting a large hand rest over my gloved one, his lips pressing delicately onto my forehead.

I find that the feeling of rightness was never so whole.

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><p><strong>AN: so i hope this chapter clears up the questions about Bella's mom and a few other questions. and, really, who wouldn't want a cute three-headed puppy?**

**prayers for my beta/pre-reader IvySnow who is going through a rough time and could use support in spirit!**

**be brutally honest. i can take it.**

**~cupcakeriot**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: i don't own Twilight - i do own fudge brownie cupcakes with nice n' thick chocolate frosting! they're...chocogasmic.**

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><p><strong>chapter thirteen<strong>

"So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable."

~Unknown

_Edward_

"Watch your uppercuts," Jasper tells me, drawing my attention from the rough tape in my hand. He was right; I'd pulled too hard in warm-ups and now I had to be careful of pulling the muscle further.

The rematch that was made after Isabella and Eric's match was made for today and while I was pumped to finally fight, I was also relieved that Isabella didn't have a rematch and that Eric was suspended from the Arena. Somehow, Persephone, Hera and Rhea had gotten Bella excused from her Arena assignment; in replacement, the three Goddesses were specially training Bella themselves.

It was liberating for me to not worry about her well-being when I wasn't with her. The humming chord between us had grown stronger over the last week, letting me pin-point her general location and a subtle hint of her emotions. The few kisses we had shared had, admittedly, been the highlights of my days along with seeing her after he classes that her new hell-hound, Amynta.

I'd been weary of the three headed dog at first but quickly grew to appreciate her presence when it became clear to me that she was a natural protector of my girl.

My girl.

When would I call Bella mine…to her face?

"It's time," Jasper tells me, slapping the center of my back a few times.

I nod to him, popping my neck once and slipping on padded black leather gloves, slamming my fists together a few times and relishing in the harsh vibration. My mind is immediately focused on the match ahead, my body thrumming with energy and tension.

The Arena is more crowded than it was a week ago, the on-lookers much more eager to see the reigning Champion and the son of Ares go one-on-one; even immortals have a stinging streak of voyeurism and a craving for spilt blood. The crowd roars when James and I are led onto the fresh navy mats.

Anger ripples through me when I see James and my arms twitch, eager to wipe the smug expression off his face.

A shrill bell rings out after Andre steps off the mat and James springs into action, flinging his body towards me, his leg kicking out in a solid roundhouse that I manage to dodge. We begin our dance, eyes watching each other just waiting for the tell-tale sign of pre-determined movement. James caves first, his left foot supporting the majority of his weight as he again attempts a roundhouse.

I know instantly that James must have pulled or injured on of his arms as he was obviously favoring his foot and leg work - his injury was more severe than my own and I knew I could use it to my advantage.

As his leg comes closer to me, I reach out at grab his calf and twist it in the same direction of his force, causing him to follow the movement with the rest of his body; he lands hard on the mat, face down.

The next round is much the same with James spending nearly all of his energy on offensive maneuvers and me blocking and evading him. He leaves the mats after the second round panting and frustrated.

"You have this locked," Jasper tells me as he hands me a bottle of water. "If you can nail your sixth combination with a upper roundhouse, you should walk away from this unscathed."

"Something's up with his arms, man."

"I noticed," Jasper agrees, eyeing James subtly with a thoughtful look. "Probably his shoulders, though."

I file that information into the back of my head and bounce lightly on the soles of my feet near the middle of the mat as the next round begins, reciting my sixth combination over and over again, preparing mentally for my most taxing maneuver.

Another bell and I'm moving, jabbing low in his belly then slamming between his shoulder blades. Leaving no time for his recovery, several upper cuts connect on both sides of his ribs, my knee coming up to hit just below his sternum. James's hands raise to protect himself as I back off, waiting for him to stand up straight. When he does, his face bright red, angry eyes glaring through me, I jump into a roundhouse kick that lands on the side of his head.

James falls soundly with a heavy groan and applause erupts out in the Arena. I throw my fist in the air, accepting the praise and Andre's hard slaps to my back, his booming voice announcing my win.

Campus is quiet when Jasper and I finally make it back. My hopes of seeing Isabella before she sleeps are dashed. I allow my eyes one last longing glance to her dormitory but stop short when I see a pale figure walking towards me. The unmistakable sound of silver bells ring out along with the figure - bells that Isabella tied around Amynta's neck with a thick silver chain.

"Later, man," Jasper says but I barely hear him, my eyes trained steadily on Bella. The bond between us hums happily, a smile forming on my face and my bag dropping at my side. The hours that I hadn't been near her disappear as I open my arms for her; she fits perfectly against my chest, tiny hands clutched to my shirt and her face pressed against my heart.

We stand still together for an immeasurable time, only the sound of Amynta's damn bells breaking the silence.

I look down at the heartbreaking face pressed against me. "I told you those damn bells would get annoying."

"I like them," Bella whispers against me, her chin sliding in an arc over my chest.

I snort and reach down for my bag, keeping one arm around her. "Not likely." We begin walking in the direction of my own dormitory and I stop, unsure of whether or not she would want to come up - this would be the first time and I wasn't entirely positive that it was the right time.

Reading my unease through the bond between us, Bella leans heavily on me. "Can I come up….or would that be-"

"Would you want to?" I'm honestly surprised by this though some part of me knows that Isabella's intentions are completely pure.

"I would love to," she says quietly, smiling up shyly to me. I can see exhaustion creeping onto her face and know that my body is mirroring hers - while today was my match at the Arena, Bella had undergone training with Rhea and Persephone and was no doubt tired. I felt bad that she waited up for me, but also incredibly thankful.

"Let's go then."

My room is mostly made up of grays and black suede and is typically messy with dirty clothes in one corner, my desk organized chaos and other random objects askew on every surface. Bella doesn't blink at the mess, instead throwing herself onto my unmade bed.

Male satisfaction comes over me at seeing her amongst my possessions but I try to suppress it as I make idle talk with her and put away some of my equipment. Before long, I am leaning against my headboard with Bella's head resting on the pillows beside me, our hands intertwined and our words nearly silent.

"Bella," I murmur, leaning down over her so my lips are right near her ear. The scent of pomegranates from her hair fills my lungs. Her face turns slightly to me, my lips grazing her cheekbone.

"Hmm?"

Nerves settle like steel in my stomach but I push them away - this question had been gnawing at me for days and, really, I wanted the claim and confirmation more than anything at the moment.

"Will you be my girlfriend?"

Out in the open, the question sounds so silly, so mundane that I almost want to take it back and I nearly do when the silence stretches on, Bella's eyes unblinking as they stare up at me.

"What?"

Words begin to tumble out of my mouth in a jumble. "Be my girlfriend, Bella. My girl. I'm so…so enamored by you that I can't sleep some days, that I can't think about anything but you. I adore you," I confess, holding back the one word that I know will scare her away from me forever. "Be mine."

One of her perfect brows raise and light pink spreads over her skin and I realize that I had practically demanded her. I open my mouth to fix it when her tiny hand covers my lips.

"Edward," she whispers, leaning up onto her elbows. "I _adore _you, too."

Happiness floods through me as I reach up to hold her gloved hand between mine, wondering at the sheer difference in size - her hand being almost half the size of my own. I lean forward slowly, warning her with my eyes, until her pillow soft lips touch mine and I become lost in the slow movements of our mouths. One of my hands snakes up into her curling hair, threading into the thick strands, as our breathing picks up and my lips become more urgent.

I drop her hand and slide mine up her back to her waist and pull her closer, reveling in the soft gasp she releases. Our kiss escalates from there, tiny nips and gentle tugging entering as Bella moves closer, sitting up and nearly sitting in my lap.

I pull away from her mouth, loving the harsh sound of her breathing as my lips leave hot kisses down her throat. Bella's breathing evens as I kiss back up the arch of her neck and place one lingering final kiss on her swollen lips.

No words pass between us but her silvery eyes regard me warmly and the flush on her cheeks sends my stomach spiraling. We move to lay on our sides, Bella eventually shyly asking for a pair of sleep pants through a massive yawn.

For the third time, I fall asleep holding Isabella tightly to my chest and though I bask in the utter calm surrounding us, I cannot suppress the thought nagging in the back of my mind.

_ Is Isabella still my distraction?_

"Should we wake them?"

The familiar voice, whisper quiet, draws me out of my extremely pleasant dream. Last night flashes through my mind and explains the soft, warm weight my body has wrapped itself around.

"Jasper, I don't think we should be in here." Another voice, even softer but bright like bells. Alice and Jasper were in my room, but why? And how did Jasper get in - I know I locked my door.

"Allie, we don't really have a choice. There are important-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!"

Though I had already been mostly awake, Emmett's booming voice makes my entire body jolt and causes Bella to let out a shriek. Her head slams into my forehead as she tries to sit up, my arm around her waist keeping her tethered to me.

"What's going on here?" By Emmett's tone, there is no mistaking his meaning - the suggestive sub-text is completely out of context and I can hear the sharp slap of Jasper's hand on the back of Emmett's head, followed by his pouting protest.

"That's what I'd like to know," I groan, rolling onto my back and leaning up on my elbows. I raise a brow at Jasper. "How the fuck did you get in?"

Jasper grins slyly and raises his hand, a single key on a ring hanging from his finger. "I have my ways."

"You fuck wit!"

Before Jasper can retaliate, Alice steps into my line of sight. "We have more important things to worry about." I'm surprised by her no-nonsense voice, the heavy furrow of her brow.

Beside me, Bella sits up, shooting Emmett a glare and me a look that I can't quite figure out. "What's wrong?" She and Alice share a long, significant look that leaves me confused though I knew that they are very close.

"You've been summoned," Alice tells her. My stomach drops, dread for Isabella filling my gut. Summons are typically things not looked forward to, not this early in the day. Then Alice looks at me. "You, too, Edward."

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><p><strong>AN: so, first, i apologize about the delay in updating; a combination of my mother's illness, a massive school project and a small case of Writer's BLAH made it take a bit longer to finish but it's here now and that's what matters.**

**second, Edward and Bella are going to start getting more, uh, physical and i want to make it clear that while i have written lemons before, they were short and not very detailed and i want to do something different for Gods. bear with me - it may be a few chapters or less/more before we see some action.**

**third - and this is awesome news - a serious concern in my pre-reader's life has been resolved and we're all ecstatic over it soooo HUGE round of applause to IvySnow who, again, has amazed me with her time-making skills and worked me into her life. she's awesome. really.**

**finally, for those of you who read these Author's Notes, i want feedback! if you have a question or anything, please leave a review - i answer them religiously! **

**be brutally honest. i can take it.**

**~cupcakeriot**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: i don't own Twilight - never have, never will. i do own the remainder of my mother's birthday brownie cake. it was amazing.**

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><p><strong>chapter fourteen<strong>

"When I saw you, I was afraid to meet you... When I met you, I was afraid to kiss you... When I kissed you, I was afraid to love you... Now that I love you, I'm afraid to lose you."

_~Unknown_

**Isabella**

This summons was very different from the others, that I could tell immediately based on the sudden drop on Edward's face. I wanted to ask who was summoning us but thought better of it - most likely, it was more than one God. Olympus protocol was becoming normal to me.

Amynta, who was sleeping soundly at the foot of Edward's bed, jumps onto the floor by my feet. Her ears are back and her tiny body is tense.

"How much time do we have?" The question tumbles from my mouth, straight from my mind. The buzz of the bond glows bright when Edward lays a hand over my own, squeezing my gloved fingers. I've yet to touch him without the gloves again and I intend to keep it that way.

Alice exchanges a wary glace with Jasper. "There is an escort waiting," she says slowly, absentmindedly clutching a small bag in her hand. It dawns on me that I've never seen Alice like this - hair a mess, seemingly confused - and I gather that I do not like that change. "Here," she says, handing me the bag, which I now realize is my own messenger bag. "I brought some things of yours when I couldn't find you in your dorm room."

"Thank you." I hurriedly move to Edward's adjacent bathroom, changing my clothes and brushing my hair, wincing at the pull as tangles work out. I knew that there wasn't any time to waste.

Amynta trotted along slightly ahead of me, directly in between Edward and I. Through the bond, I could feel brief pulses of anxiety; though his face was smooth of any emotion, Edward's mind was working quickly.

I wanted to ask him if he had any idea of what the summons could be about – or who, exactly, was summoning us – but the words died on my tongue, my mouth opening and closing several times in the span it took us to reach a familiar cloaked figure.

Demitri stood, head bowed, in the middle of the dormitory lobby, tiny traces of fog seeping around his feet. As we approached, his head tilted up and his eyes lingered on my face, seeming to analyze each of my features carefully before he caught sight of my hand locked firmly with Edward's. The curiosity in Demitri's eyes died out completely and he averted his stare.

Edward moved closer to me, his hand tightening slightly and I realize that his jealousy wasn't as ridiculous as I'd imagined.

I work to keep my voice neutral when I speak, trying my hardest not to let on that I'd witnessed the array of information that Demitri had presented. "Hades has summoned us?"

At this, Demitri shakes his head and the fog around his feet thickens.

Confusion. Demitri was widely known for his services to Hades and Hades alone, though he did often serve Persephone as well. If it was not Hades who had summoned us, then-

"You have been summoned by the Olympic Council, Princess," Demitri intoned, his words completely bland.

The bond scorched shock, startling me; Edward's face was the picture of outrage, his ears tinged pink and his brows set hard over his eyes. The hand that held mine tightened again.

"Princess," Demitri spoke again, his voice suddenly more forceful than I'd ever heard it. "The Council expressed their urgency."

"Of course," I respond absently. I had no idea who the Council was or what they wanted with Edward and I but based on both Edward and Demitri's reaction, this Olympic Council was very important – more important, it seemed, than a single God.

Without any further ado, Demitri allowed his fog to rise and permeate the air that surrounded the three of us. I hurriedly picked Amynta up, holding her close to my chest as we were all instantly transported to a large, golden room.

The walls were papered in delicate leaflet gold designs, the floor made of large honey-tinged marble slabs and several tall narrow windows that reached the ceiling on each of the walls. It was the longest wall, though, that caught my immediate attention; not only were there the most windows, but between each window was a golden framed picture of one singular figure. The three most recognizable pictures made my stomach drop.

One was clearly of Poseidon who seemed to be controlling the ocean in the bottom half of the picture, the water falling from the sky in the center, oceanic animals in the right corner and ocean nymphs in the left. Directly below the picture, Poseidon sat on a chair that seemed to be made of dark, constantly moving water that was held together by nothing but more water.

Beside him, Zeus sat regally on an electrified chair of bright purple and striking silver. Edward looked so much like Zeus that it was nearly seeing a clone – the same strong jaw and angular features, the same build of body and nearly the same shade of eyes though Edward's had much more green in them. Zeus was much more cold and remote, stress apparent around his eyes. The picture above his head featured him with a bolt of white lightening in his grip – his figure was the focal point of the painting but it held so much raw power that it was singularly frightening.

The one who drew my attention most was my own father. Hades' throne was the most morbid in the room as it was made of polished sculls and smoky dark air. His own picture was of what I'd learned to be the separated layers of the Underworld with Hades' residing over it all on a dark cloud in the very throne he sat on now. My father caught my eyes with an expression that I could not decipher.

Other Gods caught my attention, too – some I was familiar with like Hera and Rhea and Athena and others who looked familiar but that I had not met as of yet.

Demitri disappeared and new tension broke out in the bond. Edward moved subtly to stand slightly in front of me, his left shoulder blocking me from view. His entire body was coiled and tense and I recognized his stance from watching him practice in the Arena – Edward was ready for a fight.

Amynta squirmed from my arms, jumping onto the marble floor to also stand in front of me, her tiny muzzles pulling back from her teeth and three soft distinct growls breaking the silence of the room.

Zeus sat forward in his chair, much like he had the last time I'd seen him on my first day at the Arena. "Welcome to the Olympic Council."

"Why are we here?" Edward demanded and there was no mistaking the animosity in his voice. I reached my gloved hand forward to press against his back in comfort, knowing that my movement was masked from the God's eyes. Edward's eyes flicked back to me once, the green in them seeming much brighter than the grey.

Zeus ignores his question, speaking as if no other words but his own had ever been said. "It is a tradition of Olympus that heirs be tested with a number of challenges. In light of this, we have been made aware that Isabella has been removed from her assignment at the Arena," Zeus turns his cold eyes on me. "Why is that?"

As I open my mouth to speak, Rhea stands from her throne. "You very well know why, Zeus. Isabella's offensive gift acts as of defensive as well. There was no substantial reason for her to be put in a weak position at the Arena where no one can match her gift or her physical skills. It was illogical." She sits down and slowly brings her large curling hair to rest on one shoulder. "Besides, Isabella is much more apt at swordsmanship. A natural."

Edward looks at me with a raised brow and confusion rolls through the bond. I nod at him, confirming his suspicions. I'd never gotten around to telling him what exactly Rhea, Hera and Persephone were teaching me and I was almost certain that he wasn't aware of ancient swordsmanship techniques.

"So she's been trained in another area," Zeus says flatly. He exchanges a glance with Hades who looks away uncomfortably. I feel my brows furrow – who exactly had ordered the change of my training? I had assumed it was Persephone but perhaps she doesn't have the authority to make that type of order. "Very well, then. That makes her assigned tests all the more fitting," Zeus looks back at me, not truly making eye contact. "I'm sure you are aware of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World," I nod quickly – one of my classes at the Academy had spent a week going over that particular material. "You are to arrive at the first Wonder in three days-"

"You cannot just send her there-"

Zeus cuts off Edward's angry interruption. "We weren't going to send her alone, Edward. Since your relationship with Isabella has just been confirmed by yourself, you will be accompanying her."

At nearly the same time, the bond snaps with dread and Edward meets my eyes, panic clear on his face. They knew. And they – Zeus – had been counting on it.

The meeting is dismissed in a blur, Demitri arriving and transporting us to the oak tree at the Academy. The entire time, I was certain that Edward and I were operating on the same wavelength; until now, our relationship had been kept quiet from the Gods so what did their knowledge mean for us now?

Alice is persistent in her insistence that she should be helping me pack. My mind was too clouded by the earlier events to really process what my quest was - as if it hadn't really hit me just yet.

Edward and I had, reluctantly, parted ways once Demitri left us at the tree. While I seemed to be walking in a daze, Edward had a strong air of determination around him; he gently suggested that I begin packing as he was aware that I had a training session with Rhea later today and he had is own Arena match - which would be his last for a while - tomorrow.

Alice clears her throat and holds a slender black box out to me. "There's a card," she says, reminding me of the first time she'd given me a similar box. I knew before I opened the card that it was from Hades and that inside the box were a new pair of gloves. The card was a simple "These should come in handy. Good luck, Dad" written in elegant script. I hold the box in my lap, staring down blankly at that last word.

I'd been so elated to have a father, to have a someone who was supposed to care unconditionally for me but the truth is that having a father - a Dad - was turning out to be anything but confusing. What, exactly, was Hades' agenda with me? And was he even helping me?

"Aren't you going to open it?"

"Huh?"

"Isabella," Alice says, sitting down beside me. I look towards her, finally coming to the present. My mind is stronger than the circumstances and finally shakes off the haze. "Won't you open it?"

"Yeah. Of course." The box opens easily, revealing a stunning pair of black leather gloves. The leather of the fingers is sleek and thin, the underside made of buttery mesh so my palm is able to feel surfaces. The leather steadily thickens and bunches and is long enough to reach my elbow. They're beautiful.

Alice echoes my silent sentiment, running her fingers across the leather. We sit side by side in compatible silence until Amynta jumps between us, reminding me of my session.

Persephone had been working with my hell hound, teaching her how to use her own little gift. It was much to my surprise that the puppy had the ability to teleport me to any place I needed to go - or she would be able to, eventually. Right now, she could only get me to and from training sessions and even that small distance made her sleep for hours without moving.

"Amynta," I call, gaining her attention. She comes to sit by my feet, facing me, her heads looking up at me. I tell her the Greek command that Persephone had taught me and almost immediately, Amynta moves into a low crouch, her eyes glowing violet and mist coming from her mouths. The process was becoming quicker over time, mist floating up to coat my figure and then suddenly being in a completely different place.

The training sessions took place somewhere off campus - somewhere near the place Edward had taken me. The room was large and bare of any materials apart from a selection of swords. Hera stands beside the collection, watching as Rhea inspects them individually.

"Wonderful!" Persephone exclaims, walking into the room carrying a large, flat box. "You are just on time. I was worried that you might be delayed because of that horrid meeting!"

My brow furrows as my mother walks towards me. "Ah, no. You knew about it?"

"Hades keeps no secrets." She says, looking steadily at me with implications in her eyes. I understand, nodding at her and looking back over to the swords.

The first time I saw the collection, I was honestly appalled; I'd never seen so many weapons in once place before. The swords ranged from sturdy ancient pieces made of bronze and rust to newer, sleeker versions of platinum and steel. I'd learned to wield nearly every sword in their arsenal and, like Rhea had said, was a natural at it. Persephone had hinted that my natural apt had come from Hades. Apparently, Gods passed down much more than their looks.

"Isabella," Rhea hails, gesturing to the pile before her. I walk closer, inspecting each piece of gleaming metal myself, eager to get started. "It is especially important, today, that the sword you pick is the one you are most comfortable with. It will be the one that you take with you on your quest."

The reality of the coming days hits me, weighing heavily on my chest. But instead of the daze that had gripped me earlier, resolution settled in my stomach and my eyes were drawn to one of the newest swords. The blade was smooth platinum, longer than many of the others, one edge as thin as paper, the other more blunt. The hilt was made of platinum also, delicate swirls making a cage over the tightly wrapped leather handle; the cage was meant to the wielder's hand. The detail that truly drew me into the unique weapon was the fine gems and stones of the deepest purple shades that were encrusted into the hilt of the sword. My hand reaches towards it, black lace meeting the black leather handle; the sword feels like an extension of myself.

"Good choice."

I'm not sure which of the Goddess says it but I agree wholeheartedly with her. This was one of the only swords I hadn't trained with but I knew immediately that I wouldn't need to.

This sword was made for me.

Rhea and Hera walk me through the logistics and the finesse of the sword and, as the blade is longer than I am used to, the instruction is needed. I find that my movements need to be more fluid with longer steps to suit the blade properly. The adjustment is tiring yet it feels better.

When they allow me a break, Persephone steps forward with the box and a wide smile. "This is for you," she says as she places the box in my lap. I lean against the wall behind me and open the box, shocked to find two leather articles of clothing; skinny black leather pants and a leather trench coat that would reach my knees. Under them was a well-oiled leather sheath that appeared to be the correct length for my sword. "We thought these would be appropriate."

I nod, examining the wide belt of the sheath and the secure buckle that hid behind the case. The belt would fit perfectly into the loops of the leather pants which, upon closer inspection, had fine Greek phrases sewn into the sides in black thread. Without my asking, Hera tells me that the phrases are meant for protection and luck.

"Thank you." My voice breaks with emotion but I cannot help it; I was completely secure in these three Goddesses and the knowledge of their kindness.

Amynta returns us to my dorm room hours later and, much to my surprise, Edward lounges on my bed, waiting for me. "Hey," he whispers, shooting me a sly grin and letting mischief and another unnamable emotion leak into our bond.

"Hi," I murmur, setting the flat box of leather onto my desk and placing my sword on top of it. I can feel Edward's eyes on me, tracking me as I move.

"Nice sword," he comments, sitting up and eying the sheathed blade. Edward reaches a hand towards me, gripping my lace-covered fingers to bring me closer. Once I am sitting beside him, he lays a series of sweet kisses along my face. "I missed you," he confesses.

I can feel my face begin to flush - partially because of the newness of his attentions as I was still getting used to the contact and partially because I finally gathered what the other emotion in the bond was. I tilt my head to kiss him fully, our lips reacquainting themselves as Edward and I sigh in relief; I hadn't even realized how much I missed the smooth feel of his lips contrasted with the rougher slight stubble that dusted his face.

Simultaneously, the kiss deepens, Edward leaning forward until I am laying under his hovering body, his kisses hotter and longer. I break away to catch my breath but Edward continues, moving down my neck to my collarbones; he sucks very gently on the skin there, laying one lingering kiss in the hollow beneath my throat. His eyes meet mine as he slowly pulls away, his breathing heavy.

I sit up and take a deep, shuttering breath. This was where Edward and I had usually stopped but tonight, right now, the last thing on my mind is stopping; there is a deep-seated need in me that longs for Edward's touch and I have grown tired of denying it. My fingers move to the hem of the dark grey tank top I wear but before I can get the shirt over my chest, Edward's hands seize mine.

"You don't have to-" Even without the bond, I would know that Edward was merely - and weakly - trying to be a gentleman. But I can sense, to the fullest, his reluctance to stop and his drive to continue and I want nothing more than to feed that.

I shake his hands off of my wrists and finish pulling the tank top over my head, letting it drop to the floor and watching with great interest as Edward struggles to keep his eyes on my face. "You can look," I tell him, fighting off the embarrassment that is threatening to take over - I'd never been so bold in my life.

"I really shouldn't. We shouldn't-"

"Why not?"

Edward's mouth opens and snaps shut, as do his green-grey eyes. When he opens them, they are filled with resolve. "You don't think it's too fast?"

"No," I whisper, leaning towards him as if drawn by some unseen force. It wasn't too fast because I loved him and I would be willing to give him anything he would ever ask for. Of course, he didn't know I loved him and I intended for him to remain in the dark about it for as long as possible. But that didn't mean I couldn't grow closer to him in this way.

Edward's lips are on mine again, his hands on my bare waist. Zings of electricity pulse over my skin, my heart thunders in my chest and I hear our breathing loud in the room. We kiss deeply for a long time, Edward's hands running gentle circuits from my ribs to my back then over my belly-button. I know what he wants and I attempt to arch my back to put myself into his hands but he evades me each time.

He pulls away for a second and when his lips are back to tugging on mine, the heat of his body is more pronounced; my hands move without my direction to slide over his naked shoulders. Even through the thin lace, I can feel his skin and the muscles rippling under his flesh as his hands become more brave, lingering under my ribs for longer amounts of time until, finally, I feel a palm ghost over my breast.

My breathing stutters. Nothing - nothing - should ever feel that good. I feel a breathy noise come from my throat as the palm returns. Edward's forehead moves to rest on my shoulder as his hands explore my chest; his breath puffs hot on the nape of my neck. My own hands trace the toned ridges of his chest and I revel in the muted sounds that fall from his mouth - I feel powerful and powerless in the same moment.

Time passes quickly between lingering kisses and touches though everything remains above the waist and, eventually, we become too tired to continue with our exploration.

We lay on our sides facing each other with the blankets drawn up high to our chins, Edward's arms holding our bare chests close together. I imagine that my face matches his as we succumb to sleep; a flush high in my cheeks and a slight smile on my face.

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><p><strong>AN: first off, I AM SO SORRY for the delay, everyone. you guys are truly awesome and i am so honored to have every single one of you as readers and i hope this will be the first and last time that you have to wait for an update. school has been kicking my ass - i've been studying for the SAT's and i've picked up some volunteer work.**

**next, things are moving forward with Bella and Edward. now, this is the first lemon-ish thing i've ever done so i'm extremely nervous about it. i will gladly take anyone's suggestions on how to move them forward.**

**claps for my busy beta/pre-reader IvySnow who literally got this chapter back to me in less than twelve hours. she's awesome.**

**a shout out to the first person to review the last chapter - LordXeenTheGreat. i see that pen-name almost every single chapter - you deserve a cupcake!**

**be brutally honest. i can take it.**

**~cupcakeriot**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: i do not own Twilight. i never will. i'm perfectly content not owning it! this week's cupcake is cinnamon crumble muffins with a vanilla drizzle icing and sliced walnuts. it's amazing.**

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><p><strong>chapter fifteen<strong>

"We never know where we go when we are going,

We jest and shut the door;

Fate - following behind us -bolts it,

And we accost no more"

_~ Emily Dickinson_

**Edward**

"We were there less than five minuets," I tell Jasper and Emmett as I huff through a round of lower cuts to the punching bag. They'd demanded answers as soon as I walked into the Arena this morning and, unfortunately, I didn't have many.

I had no idea why we were being sent on the quest - it was an ancient tradition if a prospect was powerful enough to be considered as an heir and hadn't been enforced since the middle century. Then again, having as many possible heirs at one time was rare too, especially since six of seven of us were formidably gifted.

I wasn't sure if Isabella understood exactly how rare she was. Heirs came along every other century or so and most of them were too weak to even be remotely considered as a permanent candidate. The Gods had been in a mild panic since Isabella had shown up because of all of the new powers that were developing right underneath their noses - they feared that their time to rule was coming to an end. It was Zeus' nightmare come true - a child of his becoming strong enough to throw him off his throne.

I was that child. And, as I belatedly realized last night, Isabella was they key to my coming into Zeus' power. Because our gifts complimented each other, we were suddenly the biggest threat to Zeus. And my already distant father wasn't taking it too well hence his rather harsh behavior towards Isabella which did nothing but make me struggle with my anger issues.

"And now they're sending you out to-"

"To get killed!" Emmett cuts in, looking between Jasper and I with a serious expression on his normally relaxed face. I stop my assault on the punching bag as I consider his words. It was entirely likely, with Zeus' pull on the Council, that the quest we were being sent on was designed to get rid of us.

I vowed, in that instant, to do anything within my power to prevent that.

"You don't think they would really plan something like that, do you?" I hear Jasper ask Emmett but his voice isn't as uncertain as his question is.

"I think it's possible."

"What would the motivation be?"

I scoff, taking a frustrated swing at the punching bag. "I've told you about Bella's power. That's motivation enough." I grit my teeth as I speak, enraged that they see her as nothing more than a threat.

She's not. She hates her gift, hates needing it to live and hates that people fear her because of it. The reality of the situation weighed on my shoulders; this quest had the power to completely destroy her or both of us. The warning from the Fates rang in my head - "Don't get distracted." Now, more than ever, I took their warning to heart.

Jasper and Emmett watched me take my anger out on the equipment at the Arena for another hour before they stopped me, redirecting me to the locker rooms to change and gear up for my final match against James. It would be the last opportunity I had to fight him until I got back and I needed to defend my Championship title. Jasper was quick to tape up my hands and feet, studiously going over the new sequences we'd been developing - the best ones weren't practiced as well as I'd like but I had no time to worry about that. None of the sequences had a new skill in them but we hoped that if James had memorized my old sequences, the new ones would throw him off and I would win that much quicker.

Half an hour passed faster after my padded gloves were on and I wore nothing but crisp and shiny black shorts and tape on my feet. I was lightly jumping on my feet when the door of the locker room timidly opened and her face was all I could see, silvery eyes smiling at me.

My mind went back to the night before when she was under me, arching up to me and accepting every single kiss I laid on her. Echoes of the soft sounds she made when my hand finally made contact with her chest assaulted me; I could almost feel a ghost sensation of her silky soft skin under my hand, the supple but firm shape of her breast and the tiny hard pebble of her nipple. I swallow dryly and smile at her, forcing my mind to focus on the fight ahead of me before there was no stopping the tightness in my shorts.

Bella takes small, quick steps to me and I engulf her in my arms, the bond between us humming gratefully. She's so tiny, her head only coming up to my shoulder and her arms wrapped as tightly as she can around the middle of my back; I can hardly feel the squeeze as she hugs me and realize, yet again, how vulnerable she is. Her hands slide to my chest and up to my shoulders, the thin lace lightly scratching my skin. "Hi," she smiles slightly at me, the tops of her cheeks barely pink.

I can't stop the grin that comes over my face before I lean down and lightly touch her lips to mine. "Hi."

The pink in her cheeks intensifies and she looks away from me, seemingly startled to see Jasper leaning against the lockers. My chest warms with the knowledge that she didn't even notice him until now.

Her wide silver eyes look back at me. "Aren't you nervous?"

"No. James isn't a challenge."

She nods but doesn't look convinced. I try to distract her, asking if she'll be staying to watch and she answers with an enthusiastic affirmation. A slight twinge of nerves overcome me then as I hadn't exactly fought in front of her - in the fight that would get me into the Championships, no less - since I'd first kissed her. It was completely ridiculous, but I was worried of what she might think of the man who had kissed her and touched her using those same hands to harm another person for sport. It didn't make any sense - I hadn't hidden my fighting from her so it wouldn't be something new for her to see but I couldn't shake the anxiety that had hit me.

"You'll do great," she tells me, leaning up to lightly kiss my cheek and then she was gone, off to sit somewhere in the Arena to watch me.

From my side, Jasper laughs loudly. "Well, Champ, I'd say you just realized that she'd be watching you."

"Shut the fuck up."

The match starts like the others, with the sharp bell and a round of applause and onlookers' eyes watching our every move. But something has changed in James; he'd always been sinister but there's a coldness in his eyes that had never been there before. I win the first match when a roundhouse hits the side of his head but I know that I would have never gotten that hit if he hadn't been looking at someone in the audience.

My eyes rove for who it might be but I don't see anyone in the direction he was looking that would have distracted him. I take Jasper' offered water and wipe my face of the small amount of sweat that had accumulated, listening to his suggestions and seeking out Bella's face through the crowd. Her eyes are anxious as she stares up at me and through the bond, I can sense her worry over me; I guess since she'd experienced many unpleasant moments in this very ring, her reaction was expected. I wonder how I can convince her that this - fighting, the Arena - is what I love to do.

The second round is surprising to me; normally James would come back aggressively after being beaten but he seems to be conserving his energy. Noticing this, I immediately forgo Jasper's plans and follow his lead, wasting time on the ring dancing in a wide circle and searching for who he could have been looking at.

"What are you doing?" Jasper demands when the round is over. He glances at James and his trainer Opius, a son of Hermes, before looking back at me with questions in his eyes.

I lean forward, wary of anyone else hearing me and try to block out the bout of suspicion that had begun to plague me so Bella doesn't sense it. "I think he has a plan. A new trick or something. Notice the way that he's breathing? He's almost…meditating."

Awareness dawns on Jasper's face and he nods, breaking out into a new strategy. It wouldn't be good for Bella's sake if I was injured badly before going on the quest and he is mindful of that as he briefly runs over the details of his plan. I'm typically an offensive fighter and battling on the defensive edge made me frustrated - part of the reason for my Arena training and experience was to give me an outlet that wouldn't frustrate me and yet, here I was, fighting opposite to my nature.

Back in the center of the ring, James and I face off again and the familiar feral glint in his eye is back along with a strange subtle golden red glow around his wrists. My brow furrows as I study the glow, knowing that using a gift in an Arena match is strictly forbidden.

Surely he wouldn't try to use his gift.

James charges strongly, attempting to take out my left leg so my balance is thrown off. I roll on the floor to the side, narrowly missing the heat of his gloved hand; I can feel the fiery warmth and know that James will, indeed, try to use his gift in this match. Again and again I roll, escaping each of his hits and noticing that his face is taking on an dangerous edge, his frustration mounting over his awareness, the mortal part of him giving over to the part of Ares inside of him.

Before I can truly notice it, James's hands flame up into bright orange embers, his gloves disintegrated completely and his fighting techniques giving over to the nature of a wild beast - he charges none stop, his hands burning the rubber mat of the ring beneath my feet.

Several sharp rings echo through the screaming Arena, an official trying vainly to bring order to the sudden chaos. James is still trying to get to me, both of us in the ring with me blocking the view of Bella because I know that she hasn't moved though Jasper and Emmett are still attempting to get her out of danger.

I only have one option because James has obviously gone mad. I - faster than I ever have before - draw the ions in the air towards myself, feeling the charge of electricity as the hair stands up on the back of my neck. Nothing is more important than protecting Bella in this moment and it's that thought that drives me to gather more and more ions from the hanging lights, causing them to flicker uncontrollably. My body is burning with the need to re-channel the ions to another source but I hold them in, drawing more until it hurts. Only seconds have passed since James's last attack and he is coming for me again; things seem to be moving in slow motion for me. I raise my left hand, the tips of my fingers white-silver, and hold my open palm in James's direction, releasing every single atom of electricity in one stream of energy that looks something like lightening.

The bolt hits James dead center in his chest and I watch with fascination as the fire in his hands burns out and his body begins to seize as only mortals and half-mortals can. Had he been a full God, the shot would have barely made an impact; possibly only affected him long enough for me to counter attack and knock him out. I wasn't sure how strong it was as I had never used it before but James's limbs continue jerking, his head lolling to the right and his eyes rolling into the back of his head.

The people around me stop, frozen in some kind of awed horror as the threat becomes me, their eyes looking between my still outstretched hand and James's flailing body.

My own eyes are searching out the one face that would distract me from my burning hand and the rivets of pain that are flooding my spine; I, too, feel like I had been shocked.

"Edward!"

Bella breaks away from Jasper and Emmett and is wrapping her thin arms around my torso before I can blink. Her pretty face looks up at me with a mixture of worry and shock, her eyes zeroing in on the middle of my face. Shakily, her hand reaches up and wipes under my nose; I can see the stain of my blood on her lace-covered fingertip, the red seeping onto her skin through the holes in the lace.

"Are you okay?"

She frowns at me. "You're bleeding," she tells me unnecessarily as I jolt of lightheadedness consumes me and I lean into her for support. Around us, people are finally in motion, Andre leading a medical team past us and into the ring. James appears to be alive if not unconscious.

Things past quickly after that; Bella guides me to the locker rooms and dressed my left hand in a sterile wrap, her hands fluttering over my body and the bond bright with concern and a foreign feeling. Andre clears everyone out of the Arena and, as I have become too heavy for Bella to support, gets me into the waiting car near the back entrance. I'm not sure if my eyes are deceiving me, but I am almost positive I see a face similar to Isabella's in the distance, watching us with barely contained hatred. The door closes and my head is on Bella's lap, her gloved fingers gently pulling through my hair and lulling me into a dreamless sleep.

When I wake, I know I am in my own room and that it is dark, either late in the night or early in the day. My chest is covered with a light weight that I know, instinctively, is my Bella's head, her arms holding onto me tightly even in her sleep.

My mind runs over the events of the day, the crystal clear segments of the fight and the rush of pure power I felt when I released the bolt - a bolt that was similar to Zeus' own weapon of choice. I'd never tried anything like that and, at the time, I barely had to think about it before it was already formed inside my being; it seemed natural for me, that attack. I supposed since it was a new development that, with time and practice, it wouldn't harm me or take the energy from my body. My nose had bled and that I'm sure was a direct result of holding the ions inside of me for too long - the bleeding was probably because of a broken capillary.

My left hand feels tight from the wrapping around it and, slowly as to not wake Bella, I take the wrapping off, using the moonlight to examine my palm. In the center there is a series of jagged black marks, thick around the center and thinning out the farther the lines reached away from my palm. The jagged and crooked lines weaved in delicate, thin patterns over the back of my hand and around my fingers before meeting back in the center, the lines thick again. My hand was no longer tender or painful - rather, it felt good. My entire body felt good.

In her sleep, Bella's head burrows into my chest, her lips brushing across the skin of my collarbone.

Instantly, I become aware of every single inch of us that is touching and I am so thankful that Bella's gift seems to only stem from her hands - I wasn't sure how I would handle not being able to touch her at all.

Flashes of last night break across my eyes and my body responds, becoming hard and ready. Before I can stop myself, my lips brush across Bella's pouting pink mouth, across her cheek and lingering near her ear.

She'd been sleeping light as she sits up, awake and hurriedly looking me over for any new injuries. Her eyes pass over the area below my hips twice before she realizes what exactly she'd been examining; her face flames up and she makes eye contact with me, embarrassed and excited.

"Are you okay?"

I clear my throat and answer, my voice husky as my gaze finds the inches of creamy skin where her shirt had ridden up. "More than okay. Never felt better."

She'd told me last night that we weren't moving too fast and while I didn't think either of us were ready for _that_, I knew our bodies were aching for more than last night's teasing.

We lean together at the same time, Bella forcing me onto my back with her body over mine, her hip just barely grazing my own. My tongue traces her bottom lip, begging for entrance and both my taste buds and the bond explode; her sweet taste rich on my tongue and our bond blazing white with pulsing energy. Her hands trace the space between my gym shorts and my t-shirt, her fingers patting a distracting pattern just below my belly button before her hand slides up the center of my chest, pulling my shirt along with it.

I sit up and yank the shirt over my head and pull hers off, loving that she was completely bare beneath what I now realize was a shirt that was borrowed from my drawer. My hands reach for her hips and I pull her to sit over my erection, her legs on either side of my hips. Bella freezes for a moment with her warmth completely covering me, addictive; she lets out a soft moan, her wool-covered hands clutching at my neck and reaching up into my hair, drawing my lips back to hers.

We enter a frenzied series of open-mouthed kisses and heavy breathing and Bella's breathy moans as my hips twist and thrust automatically up into hers. My hand covers the entire span of the small of her back as I press our chests close together, my left hand grazing the side of her breasts and our tongues battling for dominance.

Bella pulls away, her neck arching back; my lips attach themselves to the sweet skin, sucking hard on the small spot where her neck meets her shoulder. In response, her hips grind down onto me and I let out a groan, closing my eyes as pleasure washes over me.

She grinds again, my hips bucking up and another pattern emerges; grind, buck, moan, kiss. The pattern grows faster until her grinds morph into hard slides and my bucking merges with my hands directing the pace of her hips.

Bella's lips are swollen, her eyes hooded and nearly completely silver as she watches me take one of her perfect coral nipples into my mouth; her back arches and her hips swivel atop mine, her mouth falling open with a gasp as her orgasm crashes over her. Just the sight of her flush traveling to the tops of her breasts is enough to push me over my own edge, my cock twitching beneath my shorts and my hips thrusting up to her, seeking her wet heat and prolonging her pleasure.

I hold her down onto my hips as my breathing slows, her body limp and relaxed on top of mine, her legs slowly straightening out. I know that I should get up and clean up the mess in my boxers but I feel perfectly content resting with Bella over me. I'd never participated in anything like this with another person and for that, I'm glad - nothing could ever compare to experiencing this with Bella.

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><p><strong>AN: i hope this entire chapter answered some of the questions everyone's been asking - now we all know why Zeus is a jerk and the purpose of heirs and all that other jazz. quick explanation for the newly developed tattoo on Edward's left hand - similar to Bella's own tattoo, his emerged as a direct result to the lightening bolt power he now has.**

**as always, clapping hands for my beta/pre-reader IvySnow!**

**shout out to the first review for the last chapter - _LittleMissDreamer7_, you've been there since the very first chapter and i am always so elated to read your reviews. i'm begging you, please don't leave me! lol**

**be brutally honest. i can take it.**

**~cupcakeriot**


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: i do not own Twilight. i just don't. i do own some awesome cinnabon cupcakes (vanilla cupcake batter, place cinnabon inside, bake, ice, eat). seriously, someone try to make that. it's fantastic!**

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><p><strong>chapter sixteen<strong>

"_Between the great things we cannot do and the small things we will not do, the danger is that we shall do nothing."_

_Adolph Monod _

_Isabella_

My entire life is resting upon these moments - the moment of now, the moments ahead of me and the moments that only the Fates know of. Beside me, Edward stands stoically, observing the gathering of Gods and their children as we sit together on the rough surface of a fallen tree that faces the ocean. Today was the day we were embarking on our quests and though the previous day had been one of planning and packing, I was still buzzing with nerves. Edward had taken the time to lament exactly how vital a role I was playing - and how dangerous the quest was, how it could be a plot to kill Edward and I.

We hadn't been told where the quests would take place or what exactly we would have to do, but we knew to pack weapons, money and layers of clothing. Through the classes at the Academy, I'd come to realize exactly why young Gods were sent on quests - to prove themselves, to prove their powers and to become heroes.

What kind of hero would I become? A killer? A messenger of death with no control over the hunger buried deep inside? Mere months ago I was struggling to hide myself away in a family that had never been mine, trying to hide my curse from everyone and so sure I would spend my life alone. Now I was in love and there was a fairly good chance I was about to lose it all.

I glance over at Edward, noticing that his heavy gaze is resting on his father; I can almost see the gears turning in his brain as he tries to figure out our fates.

Almost all at once, several Gods step forward, their children falling back meekly behind them. In the past, when a hero left on his quest, he often went alone and without guidance - even then, other children of the Gods were unaware of the quest. There were many abnormal factors about this quest and it didn't escape me that the children of the Gods seemed nearly giddy, highlighting the fact that the entire quest ordeal was rare.

The children were excited.

Rhea is the first to speak, her face wiped clean of any emotion though her eyes are filled with anxiety. "It has been nearly two centuries since a quest was needed to determine the rights a child has to be an heir. Today, we send two powerful hopefuls out on a difficult journey. This quest is unique for several reasons - never before have a drawn pair been tested together, never has a child of Hades required confirmation and never have the destinations been so potentially deadly." Rhea pauses, glancing at the other Gods who had stepped forward. "Great power has been invested in this quest. Each of the Gods beside me have special tokens to transport you to each of the destinations."

Apollo, Emmett's father, is a tall man with golden skin, golden hair, golden eyes and golden clothing. There is nearly no resemblance between himself and his son, except for the particular shape of the eyes and the slight humorous twist in his lips. He steps forward and places a gleaming golden pearl the size of a quarter into Edward's hand. For only a spilt second, Apollo makes eye contact with Edward and I and I do not mistake the caution in the golden eyes.

Zeus is next, giving to me a silvery blue pearl and stepping back without so much as a glance to his son.

Artemis, Apollo's sister, is the embodiment of silver from her metallic shoes to her waist length silver hair. The pearl she gives to me seems to be made of molten silver and metal, appearing to move slowly like magma.

Ares thrusts a fiery red pearl at Edward, a sinister smile on his tan face with choppy black hair falling around his face. There is a level of evil in his eyes that sends a shiver down my spine.

Alice's father gives me a reassuring nod when he hands over his bright azure pearl, leaning forward between Edward and I and whispering, "Decapitation will halt their spell." He steps back, his eyes roving between Zen and I before nodding again and standing beside Alice. His message confuses me but I file the information away, knowing deep within my gut that Poseidon isn't one to falsely lead.

My own father gives a black pearl to Edward, a strange expression on his face. I'd grown used to the slightly jovial demeanor of my father and his lack of expression made my own angst spike dramatically.

Athena replaced Hades' place gracefully, giving me a deep green pearl and tenderly touching my face. "All will work out, child."

When Athena is standing regally back in her previous place, Rhea steps forward again. "These pearls work as transportation between destinations. Be careful as the pearls will only transport one person unless you are touching and there is no way to recover your partner if they are left behind." Rhea produces a white leather pouch and hands it to me, directing me silently to place my pearls inside of it and then Edward's. "There is a white pearl inside this purse," she says softly, drawing the strings tightly together. "That pearl will bring you back home. Only use it if you have completed the quest or if there is grave danger."

"Is there a particular order that the pearls must be used?" Edward asks, his voice firm and demanding. I hadn't even thought to ask that question.

"No." Rhea says solemnly. "Except that the white pearl must be last."

Edward seems to absorb that information, standing and silently holding his hand out to me; I allow him to pull me up beside him, marveling at the easy bend in the tight leather pants I wear. Initially, I had worried that the thick material would hinder my movements but both the leather pants and the lightly padded leather jacket felt like a second skin. Even my newly gifted leather gloves felt weightless. The belt that holds the sheath of my sword hangs off my hips, the tip of the blade reaching past mid-calf and hanging on my right side. A narrow black leather messenger bag filled with first aid and other necessities crosses over my chest and lays over my left hip. My feet are secure in solid leather boots with no heel, the laces drawn tight and hidden away.

It was amazing how strong I felt standing before the Gods with Edward at my side - I felt virtually no true fear in the face of these quests. I was confident in the abilities I'd gained from the few training sessions with Hera, Persephone and Rhea - and my confidence was further backed my by curse of a gift. I vowed right in that moment to only use it as a very last resort.

I look past the Gods and let my eyes connect with Esme's. I'd been very surprised last night when, as I was packing, she came to my dorm room and offered me a gift that I was sure would be priceless on this quest. She'd been very adamant that I was to call upon her if there was a serious injury - and she was completely confident that she would be able to find Edward and I in that type of emergency. I had agreed, knowing I could use all the help I could get. Esme seemed to be an eager nurturer and genuinely wanted to help; still, I hoped it wouldn't come to that.

"I'm ready," I murmur, squeezing Edward's large hand in my own gloved one before letting go and untying the pouch Rhea had given us. Without looking, I draw out a pearl carefully from the bag, shimmering gold lighting the glove covering my hand.

Apollo's pearl.

I retie the pouch tightly, placing it in the bottom of my messenger bag. Edward's hands cover mine and my eyes fly up to his, calmly realizing the sheer peace in his green-grey gaze. Together, we place the golden pearl at our feet and as I stare down at it, Edward pulls me closer, wrapping his arms tightly around my back and pressing my face into his chest. I watch as his own boot-clad foot stomps on the pearl, grinding it into the ground below us.

Almost instantly, golden mist explodes from the remains of the pearl, enveloping us; there is no way to describe the very sudden feeling of moving faster than light. The disorientation is so much more different from Demitri's teleportation - it's almost as if Edward and I are in a vacuum of swirling layers of golden hues.

Just as suddenly as it began, the gold falls away to reveal a very foreign land.

It is apparent that we are on an island, the coast long and the distance between another coast is short. A complex mixture of white sand, mossy green vegetation and varying sizes of rocks and boulders building up to a set of stone steps. Stone. New stone speckled with sand and pebbles, tiny wisps of grass growing out between the cracks of the slabs.

Hesitantly, Edward lets go of me save for my left hand; he places his body in front of mine and seems to search the area for any threats. Aside from the crashing waves of the blues water I'd ever seen - even more blue than the ocean surrounding Olympus - and the faint noise of children in the distance, we are safe and I tell Edward as much, stepping around him and onto the stone steps.

I feel an overwhelming sense of eagerness as my eyes lay on a far-off city made almost completely of stone and marble. Clearly, an ancient city and one that I am more than itching to explore. Just as I make a move to step towards the city, Edward's hand encloses around my wrist gently.

"Bella, I don't think it's a good idea to reveal ourselves yet."

I feel my brows furrow until I realize that we would certainly not blend in with the population here though Edward's attire is less outlandish than mine - dark thick jeans and a more heavily padded leather jacket.

"You're right. Where do you think we are?" I ask as I step off the steps and begin walking parallel to the shore.

Edward joins me, still remaining tense. "I'm not sure but it's getting dark. We should set up a camp."

I agree and together we find a shallow cave big enough to hold a fire and a makeshift bed of dried leaves and grass. As the sun begins to set over a horizon that seems so much more clear than the one we are used to, Edward starts a warm fire and holds me against his chest while leaning on the back wall of the cave - far enough from the fire to be safe from it, but close enough to feel the heat.

Laying against his chest, I wonder where we are and - from the old architecture of the city - what _time _we are in. Edward's fingers run through my hair, lulling me into a state of relaxation and opening my mind to memories of the last few days.

Memories of panting breath and dark rooms and the mind blowing feeling of peaking against another body. I'd never even thought to dream about having that kind of connection to anyone. I was slowly becoming in tune with my body and the feeling of Edward's fingers touching the nape of my neck as he stroked my hair was drawing embers through me. Just as I was about to tilt my head up to kiss him, echoes of voices reached our cave.

Edward was immediately tense, slowly moving away from me and into a low crouch, shuffling towards the mouth of the cave. The voices were deep - men - and in a foreign tongue that sounded familiar. Some part of my mind recognized the language as Greek and began to translate the words I could hear quickly.

"Agape said the golden air was near here!"

"I see nothing. Your wife was ly-"

"Silence! I see something."

Edward and I both look down at the fire we hadn't put out, the warm glow clear in the dark night. We both knew it was too late to put it out and hide; we collect our bags and stand in the mouth of the cave. My hand rests on the hilt of my sword and Edward's stance is defensive, slightly ahead of me.

A group of four men, two much older with graying hair and two in their early twenties, approach us with flaming torches and their own poorly crafted metal swords. They are dressed in heavy cloths that are fashioned much like togas and their feet are protected by flimsy sandals that tie around their ankles. The closer they get, the more Edward moves in front of me.

I see the group take in our clothing, eyes widening. "What are you?" One of the older men demands Edward.

Of course, Edward is hesitant to speak the truth - that we are direct descendents of Greek Gods. How would these people react? Luckily, before either of us can stumble through a half-lie answer, one of the younger men speaks up.

"Agape was right!" he says excitedly, motioning to us. "She said we should bring them back to the city and shelter them. That they are supposed to protect the island from the sea monster."

I can feel my face blanch and my stomach drop. Sea monsters was not what I signed up for. I knew for a fact that my curse did nothing to water and I can't imagine that Edward's would have any impact on a water-based creature.

The young man continues, turning to us with a pleading expression. "Please come back to the city with us. You can stay with Agape and I."

"Dareios," the elder man says sharply, almost barking out the name. "Agape is no oracle. These people could be from Crete for all-"

"Agape is an oracle!" Dareios argues, throwing his hands up in the air. "Ignore these old men," he tells us, smiling in what he thinks to be a reassuring way. "Please, stay in the city with my wife and I."

Edward looks back at me and through the bond, we silently communicate our trust in this strange young man who seemed to be absolutely certain that we were some kind of prophesized saviors.

The city, though made entirely of stone and dirt, is new and easy to navigate through. Dareios separates from the other men and leads us through a maze of alleys until we reach a dark wooden door. "My home," Dareios says proudly, gesturing for us to enter first and then calling out his wife's name.

Agape is an intensely beautiful woman with a dark mane of straight hair, olive skin and slightly unfocused almond toned eyes. She trails one hand along a blank wall as she walks forward to greet her husband, smile on her face. They embrace tightly and he murmurs something to her; Agape's face lights up and she turns to face us, twisting too far in the opposite direction to stand directly before us. Dareios gently corrects her and smiles kindly at my confused expression. "My wife lost her sight when she was young."

Agape nods calmly. "There was no room for the double sight I am gifted with. One had to go. Come, I am sure you must be hungry. You have traveled far."

Dareios and Agape lead us to a kitchen made of a large concave fireplace, a stone slab that slides to cover a hole in the floor and wooden table and chairs. Dareios helps his wife sit and then begins to pull out fruits and cheeses and wine from the cool hole in the floor.

Agape begins speaking with a gentle cadence, completely confident in every word she says. "You are from the future, children of our Gods. And this is only the beginning of your journey. There are many more dangerous places you will go and many more deadly creatures for you to discover."

"How far in the past are we?"

"The Egyptians are beginning to build the pyramids."

I nod, watching as Edward continues to take in our surroundings. "Where are we?" I ask as Dareios sets down wooden plates of grapes and a strange white cheese in front of Edward and I.

"You are on Rhodes Island in Greece. It is beautiful, is it not?"

I agree with her, nibbling on the cheese. Edward steals my next question almost straight from my mind. "What is this sea monster?"

Agape's face becomes forlorn as she answers, her gaze steady on the wall beside her. "Charybdis. She has killed many of our fishers and sailors with her whirlpools. Some weeks ago, I saw your arrival and knew that you would save the island. We are running out of resources without the boats and fresh foods."

I remembered reading about Charybdis in one of my classes at the Academy, of course, and new that she was a old naid that had become frustrated and angry with her life - she began to feed on the fear and flesh of sailors, drowning them in her massive whirlpools. It had never occurred to me that she would be one of the monsters I would have to fight with Edward on this quest and I again wondered how we would defeat her.

Agape sighs and turns her eyes in our direction, the blank stare sending shivers up my spine. "It is late and you will want to set out early tomorrow if you want to move on. The citizens of the island are very suspicious of newcomers."

Zen and I are shown to a small room with a made up bed of wool covered feathers and grass, a large rough blanket and a small fireplace. Edward draws me close and shares his thoughts as we settle onto the floor; he thinks the pearls are lined with some type of time traveling magic from an ancient God and admitted his worry over Charybdis.

"I don't fucking know how we would even be able to get past the whirlpools not to mention-"

I turned over and stopped his words with a hard kiss, pouring every ounce of my own fear into it. Edward fed off the emotion, the raw energy of it, pushing me onto the floor to hover over me, his body heavy atop mine and his lips searing into my skin. We exhausted ourselves that way until we could no longer fight against the heaviness of our eyes.

The morning on Rhodes Island came too early; many of the citizens of the Island were up and about, opening their markets and businesses and gathering the children for lessons. Dareios and Agape share a quiet breakfast with us and then lead us back to the shore of the island near where the attacks have been happening. Charybdis had apparently moved inward recently which both made our job easier and more dangerous.

"I do not want to bring Agape any closer, but you should be able to find Charybdis by wading into the water." Dareios hesitates, frowning. "I - we - wish you luck." And with that, he retreated quickly with his wife, leaving Edward and I in the early dawn staring out at the calm ocean.

I am able to take a step towards the ocean before Edward's hands clamp down on my waist. I turn to look at him, startled by his horrified expression. "There is no way I'm letting you go out into the ocean to-"

"Edward!" I cut him off, throwing my hands up and moving closer to him. His hands have now slid around my back in a loose hug. "How else are we supposed to find and kill Charybdis?" I whisper, raising my brows slightly and fighting a smirk when Edward huffs and looks away from me and to the ocean.

"There has to be another way," he mutters, craning his neck to search the area around us. I marvel at the long slope of pale skin, dark stubble just beginning on the edge of his jaw. "Perfect!" he exclaims, drawing my attention back to the matter at hand instead of my rising lust. I needed to focus.

"What?"

Edward nods his head towards something behind me - a small cliff with several large boulders that were balancing precariously over the area where Charybdis was supposed to be attacking. It was perfect.

Edward and I hike up a long hill to the top of the cliff and begin struggling to roll one of the larger boulders closer to the ledge of the cliff. Finally, just as I am losing hope of ever moving the rock, it scoots an inch or two, rolling slowly. I look over to Edward excitedly and shout, "Keep going! We can't lose the momentum!"

It seems like we push for hours but the sun barely moves for it's point in the sky. When the boulder goes over the cliff, it makes a giant splash, shooting foam and sea-spray up into the air.

Almost immediately afterwards, three huge whirlpools emerge, sucking water deeper and deeper into the ocean and the whirlpools grow larger. I had thought it would take longer for Charybdis to appear so the sudden appearance made me take a step back from the cliff. Edward and I watched, amazed, as a woman who seemed to be sitting on a bean bag chair made of water rose from the center of the three whirlpools.

I wasn't sure what I was expecting when I imagined Charybdis, but it certainly wasn't what I saw. Her skin was made of light blue water, her clothing made of kelp and her hair a dark blue. Her eyes had no iris - instead, they were completely made of white foam. In her own way, Charybdis was beautiful and her fury only made her more enchanting.

"Oh," her voice coos, crystalline water and bells sounding into the air. "A young God! And Goddess. I haven't had a girl to eat is such a long time…"

Edward steps in front of me when she says that and my hand goes to the shining sword at my side but Charybdis merely laughs with mirth, tossing her head back, her dark water hair moving naturally as it gravity had no bearings on her at all. As I am completely hidden, I slowly raise onto the tips of my toes to whisper in Edward's ear.

"How can we kill her?"

Edward tilts his head towards me slightly. "Do you see the center of her chest? That black thing where her heart should be?"

I look and sure enough, there is a pulsing black mass right where a heart would be. It seems to be filtering water instead of blood. "Do you think…a wound to her heart would kill her?"

"Maybe," Edward answers. "I'll distract her."

I creep behind Edward to hide in the shadow of another large boulder, drawing my sword from it's sheath and watching as Edward's arms raise. I'd never seen his gift in action before, with the exception of our last day at the Arena, but it was mesmerizing to watch. Edward's skin seemed to subtly glow silver as faint slivers of light attached themselves to his body.

All at once, the slivers moved to both of his hands and grew into orbs of crackling lightening. By now, Charybdis had stopped laughing and was looking at Edward with interest. I knew my only chance would be to attack right as Edward released the bolts of electricity; my hand tightened on my sword and I took a deep breath, waiting.

With a thunderous clap, Edward released the bolts towards Charybdis, his body slumping forward slightly at the lose of energy. At the same time, I ran toward the cliff and threw myself off the edge directly at Charybdis - she didn't see me as the bolts had blinded her for just long enough. In mid air, I slashed my sword through her chest, nicking her black heart. I was stunned to find that the density of the water held my weight as I quickly and forcefully plunged my sword through the center of the heart.

Whirlpools stopped.

Foamy white eyes grew wider as Charybdis turned to look at me, her mouth handing open as gravity seemed to seep around her. Her form melted into the ocean and I fell into the water, drawing in sea water instead of air.

Something was dragging me down.

I looked at my leather clad ankle, coughing water into water, and saw the ghost of a water-made hand grasping my leg. My sword slashed uselessly in the water, my muscles protesting movement from the lack of air. The hand tugged mercilessly and just as my eyes started to close, a set of familiar hands grabbed me under the arms and against a familiar body.

Edward swam both of us to the surface and the entire way up, I couldn't move my eyes from the black pulsing heart at the bottom of the sea and the lighter blue water surrounding it.

The air burned my lungs on the surface as I gasped and coughed. Edward helped me swim to shore, always careful not to hurt me.

"Are you okay?" he asked sometime later. I'd finally recovered from my near drowning, my hair drying in the warm ocean breeze and my eyes fixed on the water. My gloves were off, drying beside me and Edward was fretting over me.

I nod, turning to look at his handsome worried face, his grey green eyes pouring into me. "Yeah, I think so….Did we really kill her?"

"Yes."

"Should we let the islanders know?"

Edward hesitates before he answers. "No, I don't think so. I think it would be best if he just…disappeared. It would be best not to linger." He pauses again, looking at me more intensely. The bond is on fire with anxiety and guilt and pride. "I shouldn't have let you go onto the ocean alone. Bella, I am so sorry-"

"That's what you're feeling guilty about?" My voice is quiet as I move closer to him, longing to stroke the side of his face but not wanting to take the risk of my hands touching his skin. "Edward, I'm okay. I'm alive."

"Barely."

I move onto my knees so he has to look up at me, his head level with my neck. "Not barely. Completely. And that's because of you, Edward." Before he can protest further, I attach my lips to his, his taste salty from the water and the sun growing hotter above us. His hands wander to my sides and up my neck, holding my face to his until, finally, the bond between us grows warm with accepting calm.

**A/N: so, i'd just like to say how long it took me to research everything that was in this chapter. it literally took me four days of near constant Googling to plan out the next...i dunno, six chapters? there will be lots of mythology references and lots of destinations and lots of monsters and beasts just like Charybdis. for the record, Dareios and Agape are legit Greek names. by the way, if anyone is curious to learn more about Charybdis, she's really a very interesting creature and has her own page of Wikipedia.**

**on with the next order of business, a very kind reader has added this story to a community archive - **_**Awesomest Fics Ever-TwiVampChick's Recommended Reading List.**_** i'd just like to say how awesome it was to find that! it was like an extra special treat so thank you!**

**shout out to the first review of the last chapter! LordXeenTheGreat, i am so happy that you review all the time and always so quickly! if i could, i would gift you a giant bag of your favorite candy but, alas, i am broke so you'll just have to accept this virtual hug! *virtual hug***

**and as always, thanks to my awesome beta/pre-reader IvySnow. she's awesome. really. give her candy!**

**be brutally honest. i can take it.**

**~cupcakeriot**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: i don't own Twilight. i don't want to own Twilight - i'm good with the entire fanfiction realm, really. i do own some awesome oreo stuffed cookies - make chocolate chip cookie dough, one tablespoon of dough, one oreo then another tablespoon of cookie dough pressed around the oreo. bake. eat. pass out from pure awe.**

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><p><strong>chapter seventeen<strong>

"_It's amazing. It's miraculous to see how God has taken such a near-death experience and received glory for it."_

_Kevin Wallace _

_Edward_

I almost lost her.

And in that - in saving her life, in saving my own and her saving my mind by talking me down from the guilty ledge I stood on - I've grown closer to her, as well. Still, though she had removed and reasoned the guilt I felt for letting her into the dangerous position she'd gotten into, I couldn't help but feel that I'd broken the promise I'd made to myself - I didn't protect Isabella.

There were six quest pearls left. I had to get her back home safely. I wasn't sure how I would survive if anything happened to her.

A tiny hand touches my cheek, drawing me from my thoughts. I turn my face into the thin lace palm of her leather glove, pressing a kiss into the center of her hand as she speaks. "Edward, we should pick the next pearl soon, right?" I can't deny her that; of course we shouldn't stay in one place too long and the sooner I got her home safely, the better. We'd obviously time traveled somehow and I had no idea how much time was passing in Olympus - seconds, months, years?

I nod, pulling the white draw-string pouch from Bella's bag, opening it and holding it out to Bella with a raised brow and a bow of my head. She giggles - a sound she rarely makes - and quickly picks a pearl at random.

Athena's jade colored pearl lays in the center of Bella's hand. Instantly, I wonder if a worse beast will be awaiting us at the end of this pearl.

Again, I draw Isabella close to me, my hand low on her back as I stomp the green pearl into dust. Green mist envelopes us, thick and nearly suffocating; the golden mist had been light much like the island we ended up at, but the green mist was like smog and dust and felt heavier than air.

Bella coughs into my chest as the mist clears, her eyes flicking over the landscape surrounding us. I force myself to look away from her face, taking in the dry, cracked desert and hills of sand around that we are standing in the middle of. Already, the arid heat of the desert is seeping into my skin - I can only imagine what Bella must feel like with her long, heavy hair waving past the middle of her back. Just as I think it, Bella ties her hair back into some sloppy, sexy bun, squinting her eyes against the glare of the sun.

"What's that?"

"What's what?" I ask, trying to follow where her eyes are locked in the distance.

"That," Bella whispers, taking several steps in the direction opposite to the rising sun. "It looks like some kind of temple."

It stuck me then how naturally curious Bella was - just now, she was so eager to step blindly into the lions den. In any other circumstance, I would have stopped her, cautioned her. But as it was, we were clearly in the middle of a desert and the temple-like structure a few miles in the distance seemed to be our only option for shelter; the higher the sun rose in the sky, the hotter it would be and I wouldn't allow Bella to be in any kind of danger - sunburn included.

"Let's go, then," I say, holding my hand out to her, grinning when I feel the cool grasp of the leather on my palm. One day, I would get her to hold my hand skin to skin.

The temple seems much further away than it really is. As we grow closer, I begin to notice odd details in the structure of it - subtle Grecian influences in the columns. We walk up the sturdy steps together, taking in the lush greenery, the plethora of hanging vines and flowers, the thick green moss and grass that begins to cover the stone of the temple.

"Babylon," Bella murmurs, reaching a hesitant gloved hand to touch a thick roping vine above her head.

I look at her sharply, by brain finally clicking into place.

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

Fucking of course. What other lush temple would be in the middle of a desert? Just as I think this, I swear I hear a slithering noise above our heads.

"I'm so thirsty," Bella says. Her eyes are locked onto a slight waterfall just ahead, a slow trickle sure to sate the dryness in both of our throats. I hadn't even realized my own.

Bella cups her palms, water leaking into her gloves - she doesn't seem to care as her lips pull from the tiny pool in her hands. I can sense relief through our bond and I copy her motions.

If only I had known what a mistake that was.

Before either of us can draw on our gifts, a snake larger than the columns outside the temple cinches us together in a tight coil, pressing us together until my lungs are empty of air. The scales of the snake are the size of my hand, black fading into green and back. I see two heads on each end of the snake, one of fangs with black venom dripping from the delicate points, the other seemingly harmless but with vicious eyes - cunningly malicious eyes.

My first thought is Bella who is fighting to get her arms free, her face becoming more blue by the second. My next thought is complete wariness over the fanged head, the one leering at me with predatory hunger - it moves closer to me and I try in vain to react protectively for Bella, but it's impossible.

Three things happen simultaneously then; the serpent loosens it's grip, Bella pulls her arms free and rips her gloves off and the fanged head lunges at me, biting through my right shoulder, pumping that black venom into me.

My body begins to spasm and clench painfully - this pain almost rivaling the pain I'd felt when Bella had stopped feeding. I'm not so far gone though to hear Bella's enraged yell; I even see her naked hands clutch harshly at the snake's body, a sliver glow emanating from her fingertips as the snake seems to fold in on itself, void of life.

I begin dry heaving, losing the small amount of water I was able to drink - the poison of the venom quickly over taking my body. My limbs loose feeling and it seems that only my mind is lucid enough to cherish Bella's face in my view.

Her eyes are all wrong with tears pouring down her face, the lovely silver all glassy and her lashes caking together. Her lips are moving, forming words I can't hear as my ears seem to check in and out randomly.

With her hands carefully kept away from any exposed skin, she draws my head into her lap. I can almost swear her lips form Esme's name.

"Oh, Edward," she weeps. I'm elated to have my hearing - but with it comes the searing pain that had mysteriously vanished. "Please, stay with me. Don't leave me. I love you."

My ears check out again and my eyes roll back into my head, my lungs choking on nothing. Blackness overtakes my being, sometimes graying when I can hear an angel's voice crying for me or when a cool cloth dabs my forehead.

I wonder how long I'll survive.

I wonder if Bella will ever move on from me. As if she can hear my thoughts, her answer comes in a soft whimper. "No, I love _you_. I know that Alice said we were drawn together because of our gifts, but I truly love you." I want to smile at her, reassure her that I'll be okay. I hope she feels it from the bond if it doesn't translate onto my face.

Sometime later, I hear another voice.

"Shh, he'll be okay, Isabella. The moon has healed him." A cool hand rests on my forehead, then moves to my wrist. "But we must move him."

"How? I'll never be able to carry him and even with your help-"

"Amynta is with us now, is she not?"

When I come into consciousness again, I find that I am no longer on the hard stone of the Babylon temple - instead it feels like I am resting on a cloud, covered in something warm with a tiny, limp hand in my grasp.

My eyes crack open to take in a lavish room that obviously belongs to a hotel. Beside me, asleep with her head beside my chest, is my Bella, her gloved hands stubbornly refusing to let go even in sleep. A much larger Amynta - who is now the size of a German Sheppard - stays vigil at the end of my bed.

And most surprisingly, a calm Esme is cleaning various supplies up from the hotel's in suite desk. Without pausing from her work, she smiles at me. "I'm glad you're awake."

I cough, my throat dry. "Me too," I croak, wincing at the scratching sound of my throat. "How long have I been out?" I ask, glancing warily at the not-so-fucking-small Amynta. Surely I hadn't been unconscious _that _long; Amynta was a third of that size a few days ago.

"Only a few hours. The moon is a fast healer."

"Thank you," I tell her, meaning it more than I've ever meant anything. I knew that I was dying at Babylon. "How did you-"

"I gave Isabella the gift of summoning me at will, though I'm afraid I can only come during the moon's hours." Esme frowns at that. "A glitch, I suppose. Luckily, though the time was in the sun's rule at Babylon, the moon was high in the sky at Olympus. I got Isabella's summoning almost immediately though we did have to wait for a few hours until sunset for my healing to take effect."

"You saved my life."

Esme looks up at me, warm eyes looking at the girl sleeping soundly beside me. "I am not the only one. Had Isabella not killed that monster…"

"Do you know what it was?"

Esme nods sagely. "Amphisbaena. She is supposed to be a gentle creature but it seems that someone had enchanted her to thirst for blood."

I look down at Bella again, stroking her soft hair. Her skin was rosy from the kill, I knew - and I hoped that she wouldn't feel too much guilt from killing Amphisbaena. It was a struggle I hoped she would one day overcome. She couldn't help who she was.

I move to sit up, biting back a groan when my chest stings. Looking down, I see tight cloths wrapped around my chest, holding in whatever treatment Esme had given me - I look nearly mummified and I don't feel much better.

Hearing my groan, Isabella sits up, instantly alert with her hand squeezing mine hard. I grip her delicate hand back, comforted in the fact that her devotion to me - to us and our bond - is so prioritized.

"I'm so glad you're awake." She looks like she could cry. I can tell that she wanted to say "alive".

Esme breaks the short silence. "I must get back to Olympus," she announces calmly, placing her supplies into a small bag and walking over to Amynta.

"Esme, you don't have to-"

Esme smiles at Bella, shaking her head like Bella was being ridiculous. "I will see both of you soon."

And with that, Esme and Amynta left and it seemed like our second quest came to a close.

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><p><strong>AN: i know, i know. it's been a superlong time since i last posted and that is total lamesauce in the first degree. i do, however, have an explanation - not an excuse. all i can say is moving. and i hate moving. so i couldn't concentrate and i didn't exactly have time to sit down and write which is why the chapter is so short. but a short chapter is better than no chapter at all, right?**

**originally, Edward and Bella were supposed to do some citrus-like things in this chapter but it just didn't feel right to me. plus, sexy times with an injured Godward wouldn't be too much fun, huh?**

**shout out to the fabulous **_**LittleMissDreamer7 **_**who was the first of many reviews for the last chapter. really, we should all give a bucket load of cupcakes to that girl because she's just awesome!**

**be brutally honest. i can take it.**

**~cupcakeriot**


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: i refuse to own Twilight no matter how much SM begs me to take Edward and Bella off her hands! i do own a bunch of recipes for Thanksgiving so that's always a yay. can anyone say...cranberry muffins with a sweet cranberry drizzle and cream cheese frosting? no? well...try saying it.**

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><p><strong>chapter eighteen<strong>

"_The whisper of a pretty girl can be heard further than the roar of a lion."_

_Proverb_

Isabella

I change Edward's dressings in the bright in-suite bathroom at the overly expensive hotel Amynta had jumped us to when Esme came to save Edward's life. Edward would no doubt have two identical fist-sized scars on his chest from that poisonous serpent. But even then, the scars didn't draw from the sheer perfection of his entire torso - the toned muscles of his abdomen, the tough flexors of his hips, his strong, rounded shoulders all wrapped in smooth pale skin.

I shake my lust-riddled thoughts from my head. Edward's health was more important than that type of distraction.

"I think I know what the quests are," he says out of the blue.

I pause in securing the bandage across his chest. I hadn't even been thinking that they were anything but random destinations. I finish his wrapping and step back, trading latex gloves for soft lace and cotton black gloves. "What are they?"

Edward slides off the counter, gingerly stretching his arms over his head. "Babylon wasn't ever proved - there are no historical records of it anywhere. Like the Greek Gods, Babylon was forgotten and became a myth."

"But we were _just _there."

Edward nods. "That's my point. The Gods are sending us to the Ancient Wonders. We were on Rhodes Island where Colossus was supposed to be and then we were at the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. There are seven Wonders and we have eight pearls - and only one of the pearls takes us to Olympus." Edward suddenly grins widely. "The only surprise is what will meet us at the Wonders."

Edward orders a room service lunch and the use of a wireless laptop, both arriving to our room quickly. We eat then browse the internet for any hint of the monsters that might next greet us. By elimination, we figure that Babylon is in Iraq - meaning Italy, another stop in Greece, Turkey and two quests in Egypt remain.

The weight of the unknown lifts off my shoulders. I find comfort in knowing what may lie ahead of us next, even if the only information we hold is knowing where we'll eventually end up.

Minds and stomachs sated, Edward and I agree that staying over in the hotel for another night would be best - partially so Edward can heal at an accelerated rate, and partially because we might not have another opportunity to use modern resources until our quests are done.

Edward lays down for a nap while I move into the bathroom, furiously scrubbing at every inch of my skin until what used to be pale becomes pink from friction and the steaming water. My long hair - past my waist now - is also meticulously cleaned, the strands heavy and tangled. It's as I am rinsing the conditioner from my hair that the idea pops into my head.

I quickly finish, my body hairless and clean and wrapped in a towel as I dry off, pulling on the one pair of jeans I brought with me along with a long black tank top and a soft, off-the-shoulder grey blouse with a fluttering hem.

"Where are you going?" Edward asks, surprise pouncing on me through the bond. He sits up easily, swinging his legs off the bed and coming to stand beside me as I slip on my boots.

I finish and look up at him. "I'm getting a haircut."

For a second, his face is sad and remorse flies through me from our bond. Then understanding dawns on his face. "You don't have to do that, Bella," he begins, clearly about to launch into a speech about how the length of my hair is beneficial in this way and that and that, really, he quite liked the way it was now.

But I shake my head at him before he can start. "No, I need to. It's getting in the way during battle. It will grow back."

Edward sighs and instead of arguing, asks me if he needs me to go with him. I can tell that he would like to continue resting and I tell him as much. He lets me leave with little protest, already falling back onto the bed in exhaustion as I lock the hotel door behind me.

At the front desk, I ask the concierge for a recommendation for a hair salon close by. She studies my long locks and grins, insisting on making me an appointment at her own salon and calling a taxi service for me.

The salon I arrive at is sleek with bold black surfaces and splashes of color scattered about. The ladies chatter quietly to each other, filling the large rooms with a soft, calming noise that often rises above the foreign pop music on the radio. I guess that we are somewhere in Europe now, based on the smooth accents and fluent English of the people.

The woman who cuts my hair is plump and not too much older than myself. She clucks her tongue as she fingers my hair. "Such a shame to cut this off," she says through her thick accent. I wonder if it is something about the Goddess part of me that allows me to understand what all of the people hear are saying - some latent gift?

Ignoring that thought, I smile into the mirror at the woman behind me. "It's just time for a cut."

"How short?"

I had thought about this on the ride over - cutting off a few inches wouldn't make much of a difference and neither would cutting it to my shoulders. I move a lock beside my face, pinching the hair between my fingers underneath my jaw. "About this short."

I watch as the woman's eyes widen comically. She seems to snap herself back and reaches for an intimidating pair of shears. The first cuts are loud in my ear but the weight is refreshing. After the initial cuts, the stylist goes back with a razor-type thing, making layers and evening up the ends.

The end result is dramatic but beautiful, my hair framing my face in edgy angles but suiting me perfectly, somehow making the silver of my eyes pop.

On the way to the hotel, I wonder about how Edward will like the change. I was almost certain he'd heard my declaration of love when he was in and out of consciousness yesterday and I felt similar fondness through the bond. Would his feelings change as a direct result of this change?

No, that would be ridiculous and Edward wasn't shallow.

Back at the hotel, the concierge gives me a double take before a wide, approving smile blossoms across her face. I wonder if she would be so approving of the change if she knew my primary reason was based off the hunch that it would make battling during my quests easier.

Edward is, thankfully, sleeping when I enter the room. The air in the bathroom still feels humid and his hair is sticking up in random directions, still damp. His chest is bare, the wounds from the serpent barely visible against his pale skin.

Desire ripples across me as I take in his prone form, his boxers peeking up under his hips from a loose pair of dark jeans. My mind reasons that he appears healed and surely he would be able to participate in the activities that are on the forefront of my mind.

As if reading my mind, Edward's eyes pop open, his pupils huge in his grey-green irises. My breath catches in my throat as I watch him take in the changes, his gaze lingering on the exposed skin of my neck, zeroing in on the curve of my shoulder. Silently, he reaches forward, easily making contact with my hips as I had stepped fairly close to him before he woke up.

"I like it," he breathes, looking up at me while drawing me closer still until I am almost in his lap.

Almost isn't good enough; Edward pulls me sharply into his body, my legs falling on either side of his hips and his mouth on my throat, working his way to the nape of my neck with his teeth and tongue.

Gasps escape me as his hands draw up my sides to my chest, gentle fingers massaging my breasts and pinching my nipples - ministrations that draw embers from deep within my core, an ache forming where none had ever touched before.

My blouse and bra come off quickly, one of Edward's hands twisting into my hair while the other deftly unbuttons my jeans. Anticipation floods through me along with a slight note of embarrassment as I realize the slickness between my thighs; a strong force of lust obliterates my hesitance through the bond and soon enough my jeans are on the pile of growing clothes on the floor.

Edward hovers over me, his hands constantly moving over me, his eyes hot on the scrap of black lace that covers the last hidden part of my body.

"I need…" My voice is so foreign to my ears, thick with desperation for that feeling only Edward could give me. I wasn't even sure what exactly I needed.

"I know," he murmurs silkily into the hollow of my throat, his lips kissing down my chest - stopping only to pause at the tight peaks of my nipples, adoring each of them with wet lips - and further down after that. His fingers dig between the material of my boy-shorts and my skin, tugging gently down on each side until I need to lift my hips so he can pull them off of me completely. "So beautiful," he breaths near my belly-button, his hand just ghosting over my center.

Without much preamble, he makes contact, lightly tracing my lower lips, teasing me until my legs fall open to expose more of myself to him. My chest is heaving as his fingers gently dip into my wetness, swirling and exploring until he finds a spot that feels so incredible that my hips buck off the bed, toward his waiting palm.

"Oh," I moan as one of his fingers enters me, thrusting in and out gently while his thumb rubs small circles into my clit. Slowly, his rhythm increases until my loud panting and the sound of my slickness are taking over the relative silence of the room.

"Shhh, just feel it," he tells me and I do, fire bursting from my center to my toes and back, my chest arching into Edward's mouth and his fingers gently bringing me down.

Dazed, I watch as he pulls his hand away and moves up to kiss me, his hardness brushing against my stomach unintentionally. Without my prompting, my hand is below the fabric of his boxers and firmly grasping his length in my gloved hand.

"The lace," he gasps out, collapsing onto his side.

I pause, wondering if the lace was a _bad _thing. Once again reading my uncertainty through the bond, Edward hurriedly explains that the lace makes my grasp on him feel even better. I continue on, tentatively stroking my hand from base to tip, lightly squeezing on the head and watching in awe as Edward's head falls back, his Adam's apple bobbing and his jaw clenching. He forces his pants off, kicking them onto the floor along with his boxers and my gaze travels to the hardness in my hand.

While I have absolutely nothing to compare it to, I know that Edward is rather large - his girth too big for my hand to close around and his length intimidating. His exposed head is a blushing purple, the rest of him pale and smooth. He twitches in my hand, shocking me as his cock moves on it's own.

I must have been staring too long because Edward barks out a laugh and kisses my blushing cheeks, his hand moving to cover mine. Together, we pull and squeeze until Edward is groaning, swelling in my hand and exploding wondrously.

We lay together afterwards, Edward having cleaned up bashfully with tissues by the bed, his arms tight around me and the smell of - well, sex - in the air. I was fortunate that none of his seed landed on my gloves as I only brought three pair. We drift off, sated for the moment.

Edward wakes first, humming a tune in my ear until he speaks into the phone, ordering our dinner. "I thought we should try to pick the next pearl not so randomly," he tells me, puling the small white bag into his lap and drawing the strings apart.

He dumps the pearls into the small space between us.

"Well," I begin, sitting up and grabbing for a t-shirt of his that is folded onto the dresser beside me. "We have no way of knowing what each pearl will bring. So how should we decide which one to choose?"

"I thought of that. Maybe we could choose based on what God gave us the pearl. Ares, the red pearl, is probably wicked sinister so we might want to wait until I'm fully healed to tackle his."

I nod, agreeing with that logic. "Artemis' pearl?"

I look down at the seemingly innocent silver swirling pearl, thinking that Artemis' quest should be difficult but survivable. Surely not as deadly as Ares'.

Edward plucks the silver pearl from the pile, examining it closely, considering. "I should be healed well enough by tomorrow," he says, setting the silver pearl aside and carefully putting the other pearls back into their soft pouch.

With that settled, my mind is free to wander to other needs - like hunger and the very human need of the bathroom. Our room service arrives as I am washing hands and we eat in quiet reflection, both of us mentally preparing for the next day.

We wake early in the morning, with dawn, and gather our belongings. Edward changes into jeans, a slim black shirt and a chest-plate armor that Esme left behind, the silver and bronze gleaming in the faint light from the window. The chest-plate is accompanied by two metal plates that cover his forearms completely; the entire set of armor looks like it was transported directly from the times of the Roman Empire but seems to suit Edward perfectly. It is definitely a change from his boxing gloves and taped feet yet he still appears comfortable.

I don my leather, tying and zipping my boots tightly and double checking the belt hanging from my hips and the secured buckled that attached my sword's sheath to my person.

Edward draws me into his arms, kissing me softly and slowly for a moment before hugging me tighter, pressing my face close to his chest as he stomps on Artemis' silver molten pearl.

The mist from this pearl is more sparkling than smoky and is almost accompanied by a faint tinkling sound. When the mist dissipates, we are in a location nearly as beautiful as Olympus.

Short stumpy trees create perfect rows formed into a maze, the grass vibrant and thriving, soft and inviting under our feet. I almost felt bad about trampling on the grass as it was so perfect. The sky above us is bright blue, completely cloudless.

Edward and I had been deposited in the middle of the maze, it seems. All around us is more and more of the stubby trees. I think for a second that the pearl sent us to the wrong location.

But that is when I see it.

In the distance is a gleaming white structure made of a low-angled marble roof, tall pillars and four whole-perimeter steps. The pillars are evenly spaced around the entire building, several feet between each flawless pillar. Around the building are tall, perfectly hedged bushes, rolling hills with a small lake at the bottom and wildly growing flowers that are obviously tended to.

Edward follows my gaze, humming in the back of his throat and making his way through the maze of stumpy trees.

"Where are we?" I ask, following him while being careful not to let anything touch my skin; though I had fed directly from a live source not too long ago, my fingers had set in with the familiar icy feeling this morning. I dreaded tripping in this amazing place and ruining the perfection.

"I think we're at the Temple of Artemis. It is her pearl."

That was a completely logical assumption, of course. But it was too easy, setting my nerves are edge and making me hyper-sensitive of every noise and sight around me. It was highly unlikely that this would be one a quest that didn't require our killing of some not-so-mythological beast.

The closer we get to the temple, the more paranoid every rustling of grass and leaves makes me - what I would normally assume as wind impacting nature instead makes me assume there is some monster lurking, stalking us.

My paranoia proved true.

Just as we are about to enter the Temple, a loud incredulous roar echoes through the pillars.

There was nothing normal about this lion. Where rough sandy fur should have been, there was thick, spiky golden colored metal plates sticking in every direction, most of the spikes dull and short while others sharp and tall. It's mane and tail seemed to be the only assets of the lion that were standard, the mane of hair around it's neck a shade darker than it's golden fur and soft, moving with the steady wind current. It's claws were long and deadly.

All of these things brought to mind one thing. Nemean lion.

My mind is absolutely blank as the lion sniffs and circles us, drawing closer with each rotation around us. I am careful to keep my front facing the lion, my hand steady on the hilt of my sword.

The confidence I had been feeling suddenly dies. The Nemean lion can't be killed by mortal weapons and though my sword was made by Gods and is wielded by a God, the sword as a weapon is a very mortal thing. My sword would have no impact on this creature.

My mind scrambles for an answer while Edward seems to come to the same conclusion I have. I can't remember a thing from my classes at the Academy.

"Strangulation," Edward whispers lowly to me.

I hazard a sharp look at him. Surely he wasn't suggesting that one of us was supposed to strangle this beast. My gift was of no use here, much like my sword - the Nemean lion was primarily made of metal and there was no energy I could draw from metal.

And the only thing Edward's gift could do was make that metal hotter. Of course, I did have my gloves but I was sure they wouldn't protect me from the sharp golden spikes of the lion and there was no way Edward could risk another injury while he was still healing.

The Nemean lion loses patience with waiting for our first move. He makes a quick step and swipes at my feet. I jump back, pushing Edward into the pillar behind us and draw my sword on instinct.

Edward reaches around me, drawing ions into his palm and throwing several quick bolts at the lion; they ricochet with no impact but serve to confuse the lion for long enough that Edward and I have a chance to run into the Temple.

Artemis' likeness in a marble and stone statue sits several feet taller than she is in real life in the center of the Temple. There are virtually no places for Edward and I to hide save for behind the statue.

Hiding there, we keep quiet, listening for the Nemean lion and attempting to furiously flesh out some sort of battle plan.

"Strangle it?" I demand, throwing my hands into the air. "How? And who?"

"Decapitation, then. You distract it and I'll-"

"You can't wield my sword even if that would work. The sword is a mortal weapon and-"

"Then I will strangle it for long enough that you can get the right place to decapitate it."

My stomach is queasy at this suggestion but I know that I don't posses the physical strength required to strangle the Nemean lion. This is our only option. We decide to exit different sides of the Temple once we spot the lion prowling on the eastern side. Edward keeps low to the ground and directly behind the lion, moving slowly and as quietly as possible.

My heart jumps into my throat when Edward pounces, his hands tight around the lion's neck and holding true when the lion bucks and tries to shake the young God off his back. I jump in at the point when the lion begins to struggle for breath and Edward begins to grow weak, his wounds from the serpent growing darker and more bruise like from the strenuous movement. My sword is drawn and, without thinking too much about it, I plunge it through the lions neck and force the blade down then back up again, Edward's hands out of the way and the lion's head falling onto the thriving grass. Golden blood stains the grass, freezing into a thin sheet of fold at my feet, the lion's body frozen into a golden statue with Edward on it's back.

Edward slides off and pulls me into a tight hug, running his hands weakly from the top of my shoulders to the bottom of my back, his breathing labored and his skin too-warm.

"Are you okay?" I demand, pulling away to look at him. Aside from the newly healing wounds from the serpent, he appears as intact as ever.

He cups my face in his hands as an answer, kissing me for all I am worth. I feel all of his fear and adoration and possessiveness through that kiss and the bond, knowing for certain that he returns my feelings in kind.

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><p><strong>AN:** **Happy Thanksgiving to all my readers in the states! for all you lovely ladies and maybe gents everywhere else, we Americans are going to binge eat for about the next three days. it's not as fun as it sounds. there's an awful amount of cleaning during this time.**

**anyway, early update because of the holiday and a lemon as an extra-special something.**

**shout out to the great LordXeenTheGreat for the first review on the last chapter. this is where i thank you profusely for reading so loyally and for sticking with me through this semi-violent time in the story.**

**by the way, for anyone who doesn't like the fighting that has been happening in the last couple of chapters, fear not - just another four chapters and the kids are back to Olympus where...interesting things are going to happen.**

**as always, be brutally honest. i can take it.**

**~cupcakeriot**


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: i do not own Twilight. odds are that i never will! i do, however, own a bucketload of cookies and guilt for not getting this chapter out sooner!**

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><p><strong>chapter nineteen<strong>

"_A bit of lusting after someone does wonders for you and is good for your skin."_

_Elizabeth Hurley_

**Edward**

The next pearl we choose is Hades'. It's intimidating and so dark it looks like the embodiment of the Underworld, swirling with two dimensional black depths. Bella stares at it as it sits innocently in her lace covered hands.

Lace.

I would never, ever in a thousand years, be able to think about lace without my mind flashing to the other night when that same lace had brought me the sweetest release I had ever known.

Bella pushes her short hair behind her ears, closing her tiny fingers around the pearl. "Let's do this," she mutters, looking at me from beneath her thick lashes. She reaches for me this time, arms tight around my body, head tucked firmly under my chin. I wrap my arms low around her back and press a kiss onto her head before stepping on the black pearl.

Black fog swirls thickly around us, blinding me until it clears, dropping us in a new location.

I shouldn't have been surprised by the desolate, arid desert that surrounded us. Somehow, this desert seemed to be more menacing than the one we left in the Hanging Gardens - the sand created mini-mountains and the sky was such a vibrant blue that it hurt to look at. Heat immediately seeped into my skin.

I take in the three giant pyramids before us, their height stunning in the middle of all the deep, fine sand. We were obviously in Egypt. Modern day Egypt, too, judging by the caution signs and roped-off areas. This was the closest we had gotten to our own time in this entire series of quests.

Here, the sun was almost setting, nearly ready to dip down into the horizon and leave us in the dark. I only hoped that we could deal with whatever beast was here before the night settled in because I did not want to be caught in the middle of the desert at night.

"This way," Bella murmurs, pulling away from me and walking blindly towards the largest pyramid. Her eyes were clouded over, her lips parted and her steps staggering slightly. Something was guiding her, putting her in a trance.

A trance that was leading her further and further from me.

Through the bond, I could feel a subtle pull that was completely different from the pull Bella and I share - almost a yearning to be closer to some elusive object.

Bella stumbled ahead of me, sand creating deep pools around her feet and drawing her into the ground around us. I rush to catch up with her; if anything, I could keep her physically safe while her mind was elsewhere.

She leads us around two of the pyramids, her eyes locked onto the sand while the sun sinks deeper. The hair on the back of my neck raises occasionally, as if eyes are on me even though we are in the middle of the desert.

Suddenly, before I can stop her, Bella sinks to her knees and begins clawing at the sand before her. At the same moment, an enraged roar echoes around us - I look up, my stomach dropping at the sight of the Chimera.

This Chimera was particularly intimidating, a large feline body and head with the coiled horns of a goat sticking up behind it's ears, heavy hooves on it's feet and a twisting snake taking place on it's tail, the head of the snake hissing menacingly at me while the lion's head roars again.

I step back and try to move Bella but she screams at me, a single high note, and stubbornly refuses to move. She doesn't realize the danger here, the trance tight around her mind and her hands causing sand to fly around her.

"Shit," I mutter, turning from her and putting myself between her and the Chimera. Whatever it is that Bella is searching for, the Chimera was obviously trying to guard.

I had to wonder what the motives would be for having the Chimera and an artifact in the same quest. Was this something Hades had constructed?

The Chimera, impatient, sinks into a low crouch, swishing it's snake-tail at me and baring it's teeth, hooves sinking into the sand.

The second before the Chimera charges, I think about using Bella's sword but the thought vanishes as soon as it appears - I wasn't trained in sword fighting, so the hunk of metal would be next to useless to me. Instead, I lock eyes with the fierce predator and give in the Zeus-side of my being, drawing ions from the waiting air into my hand and firing off twin bolts as the Chimera leaps at me.

Stunned, the Chimera rolls off of it's back and paces in front of me, intelligence in it's eyes as it contemplates it's own strategy.

Not taking my eyes from my giant opponent, I speak to the girl who holds my heart and our lives in her digging hands. "Bella, whatever the fuck your looking for, find it fast. I could really use your gift right now."

Seconds later, excitement bursts through our bond and Bella lets out a loud cheer. I hear a gasp and then absolutely nothing from behind me. Throwing out a bolt to the Chimera, I risk a look over my shoulder.

Dread fills my chest.

Bella had, literally, disappeared.

There was no trace of the hole she'd dug or her foot steps, the desert sand undisturbed around me except for the angry charging hooves of the Chimera who was running full speed at me again.

I prepare myself to dodge the beast but the oddest thing happens; it stops dead in it's tracks and, before my eyes, begins to crudely decay. The Chimera falls to the ground, it's body becoming sallow and wasted in mere seconds.

I lean against the very convenient pyramid wall and stare at the dead beast in shock.

What the fuck-

Out of nowhere, Bella appears complexly unscathed beside the Chimera's body, her gloves stuffed into her pockets at a helmet in her hands. The helmet is fashioned from shining platinum and dark colored jewels and looks more like a crown that what it's supposed to be.

Of course.

Hades' Cap of Invisibility. The Helm of Darkness. The one coveted piece of Hades' mythology that makes the wearer of the helm completely invisible, completely undetectable by sound, heartbeat, smell, touch and sight.

Of course the Chimera would be protecting Hades' most valued treasure.

But.

The Helm didn't look like the one I knew Hades to wear - the one that I'd seen countless times before. No, this Helm was more feminine, newer, sleeker.

Amazing. Hades had a Helm fashioned specifically for Bella. That's why she was drawn to find it. It was hers in the first place.

"Do you know what that is?" I ask her as she walks towards me, the Helm now safely in the bag hanging from her narrow shoulders.

She nods, smiling softly at me, and pulls her gloves back on before she steps any closer to me. She's always so careful not to touch me without them, but I wish she would. I'd begun craving her touch like a drug lately, longing for her bare hand on my skin. I had a feeling that her touch wouldn't affect me like it does other living things - it didn't before, at least.

"It's my own Helm of Darkness," she says, righting the direction of a glove. It draws my eyes down to her hands and I can't stop myself from gasping.

The tattoos that had appeared on her fingers had spread, had gotten darker and reached past her wrist, the delicate swirling design contrasting with her pale skin.

Her eyes follow mine, widening when she sees the expansion on her skin. She quickly shreds her leather jacket, revealing a tight white tank top underneath and inspects her arms.

Sure enough, dark swirls that grow steadily smaller travel up both of her arms, ending just before her shoulders. The strange design makes her more exotic than she already is, with her pale skin and glowing eyes and full lips.

Elle looks worried at the development, tracing the swirls and dots down her arm, her bottom lip firmly in between her teeth.

"They're beautiful," I murmur to her, stepping closer to her until she is wrapped completely in my arms. My lips press into the top of her head but from there, I am lost, letting them work down her face to her neck and collarbone and back, loving the deep pulsing of her blood and the sound of her accelerated breathing.

It occurred to me that we were in the middle of the desert, in a restricted area no doubt under the pyramids of Giza, Egypt. Now probably wasn't the time to work both Bella and myself up but I couldn't help it, adrenaline and lust burning through me. I had to have her in some way.

She pulls away from me, her eyes desperately seeking something from me. "Where can we go?" she begs, her voice husky and doing things to my body.

"There has to be a hotel somewhere around here," I tell her, pulling her closer and kissing her with everything in me, pressing myself against her stomach and holding in the moan that threatens to escape me.

With her gloves back on, we hurry hand and hand through the desert, coming to a tiny town not too far away. I check us into an inn of some sort and soon enough, Bella is writhing under me, moaning softly as I grind into her, my lips sucking the skin of her stomach through her shirt. Pushing the fabric up, I attach my lips to her puckered pale pink nipple, thrilling in the sounds the escape her mouth and the dull scratching of her nails against my scalp as she tries to force me to take more of her breast into my mouth. I alternate breasts, steadily making my way down to the hidden zipper of her leather pants.

I sit up, taking my shirt off and ripping her tight pants off of her legs, my mouth returning to where I'd left off. The scent of her assaults my senses, sweet and musky at the same time; my mouth waters and I can't fight the urge to bury my face between her thighs. I inch her lacy panties from her hips, looking up at her for permission.

Bella is panting, nodding and biting her lip, her hands digging into the sheets as I drag my lips down her legs, her panties following. Absently, I kiss back up her smooth legs, my eyes locked on the treasure between her legs. I reach her inner thigh, sucking her skin into my mouth and biting lightly, watching in amazement when Bella's hips twitch.

I'm torturing both of us, nipping and kissing every inch of her skin until my nose brushes against the smooth skin of her center. Bella must shave because her lips are smooth, pink and glistening; the only hair at my level are neatly trimmed curls hiding her mound. I inhale deeply, savoring her scent before taking a long lick up her slit.

Bella's hips shoot off the bed. I move my left forearm over her hip to hold her in place while my tongue licks her outer lips again and again, dipping between her lips for more when I can only taste her sweet skin.

Nothing could compare to her taste.

My right hand spreads her lips, exposing her moist pink slit to my eyes. I am drawn to the tiny berry at the top of her sweet pussy, the little bundle of nerves that drive her crazy. I flick my tongue against her clit, grinning at her long, startled moan. My tongue lightly circles the tiny nub, occasionally pressing against it firmly. My fingers move into her opening, dipping in time with the motions of my tongue.

Sucking her clit gently into my mouth, I wonder what it would feel like to her if it were more exposed. Eager to experiment, I draw my fingers up again to her clit, unable to resist playing with it for a few seconds until it is throbbing before pushing up against the skin that protects it. Uncovered, her clit is even smaller, twitching at the cold air around it. I wriggle my tongue against it, loving the loud cries escaping from her mouth.

Keeping close contact with her exposed clit, I let my left hand drop to her opening, thrusting into her and curling my fingers up, hitting a curiously rough patch that swells, making Bella's cries more desperate, her moans louder.

Suddenly, Bella is clenching violently around my fingers and her clit is throbbing and twitching against my tongue; Bella doesn't seem to breath as she comes, her juices coating my fingers and chin. I carefully draw my mouth and fingers from her, slowly cleaning up her orgasm with my tongue, enjoying the cocky confidence that overtakes me. I sit up and smile down at my girl's prone form, her body completely relaxed except for her heaving chest. I press a single kiss into the hollow of her throat and lay down beside her, not even thinking about the throbbing in my own groin.

"How did you _do _that?"

I look at the beautiful creature beside me and think about how I should answer. I hadn't ever been with anyone but I had been curious about sex - what teenage male wouldn't be, God or not?

"I might have researched some things," I say reluctantly.

Bella laughs happily, rolling over to hug me with a blush high in her cheeks. Her gloved hands run down my chest suggestively, stopping at the button of my jeans. "Think you could teach me?"

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><p><strong>AN: so the next chapter will most likely start out with a lemon. i cannot begin to explain how sorry i am for making all of you wonderful people wait! i suck. throw tomatos at me. i demand it.**

**Edward - Godward? - and Bella are moving forward in their physical relationship (yay) and in their quests. if anyone wants to know more about the Helm of Darkness that Bella found in this chapter, i would Wikipedia_ Hades Helm of Invisibility_. it's involved in a ton of mythology.**

**shout out to the awesome _kiaras-magical-melody_, who was the first review on the last chapter; you guessed this chapter without even trying and for that, you get a high-5 and some candycanes.**

**as always, be brutally honest.**

**~cupcakeriot**


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: i do not own Twilight! i do own some fabulous chocolate dipped cookies - really, try it.**

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><p><strong>chapter twenty<strong>

"_You must submit to supreme suffering in order to discover the completion of joy"_

_John Calvin_

Isabella

Edward was visibly eager. His entire body was taut with excitement, his lower anatomy bulging under the button of his jeans. I was eager, too, regardless of the very thorough relaxing gift Edward had just given me. My hand and eyes had already met his very intimidating cock but it was my mouth that wanted a taste.

I kiss down his chest slowly, drawing it out, torturing him like he had tortured me. Careful not to graze his hardness, I unbutton his jeans and slip them and his boxers off of his body, running my gloved hands up and down his upper thighs.

He groans.

I suppress a smile, moving until I am level with his twitching cock. I huff out hot breath at it, loving how he gasps and twitches again. Pursing my lips, I lay a single kiss on the underside of him.

"Shit," Edward breathes, forcing his eyes to the ceiling.

I kiss him again and again, covering every inch of his cock, tasting his cinnamon sweetness on my lips until I can no longer stop myself from kissing his tip. The blushing purple head is leaking slightly, giving me a delicious teasing taste that I immediately wanted more of. I suck his head gently into my mouth, flicking my tongue all over and thinking that I must be doing something right based off of the noises coming from Edward, some high pitches, some low groans. I circle his cock with my gloved hand, squeezing and lowering my head to take more of him into my mouth at the same time. He hit's the back of my throat and I quickly pull off of him, choking back the gagging sensation in the back of my throat.

Edward immediately sits up, grabbing for me and rubbing my back as I gasp in air. I feel embarrassed tears escaping my eyes, hating that Edward gently wipes them away one by one.

"Are you okay?"

I turn my eyes away from him, mentally beating myself for ruining my own task with my stupidity. "Yeah," I mutter, feeling a pout work it's way onto my face.

"Baby?"

My heart stutters when he calls me that. I'd gotten used to Bella, the nickname he gave me, but I liked "Baby" even more.

I raise my eyes to see his perfect, scruffy face. "I'm fine," I tell him, letting my eyes fall to his still erect cock. "But I messed up-"

"No, you didn't," he tells me, reaching for my hand and bringing it to rest on his hardness. His face relaxes in pleasure. "It was your first time doing that, Bella. And you don't have to do that ever again if you don't want to."

I wanted to. At the moment, I wanted it more than anything but I was still recovering from gagging. I moved my hand, committing to finishing what I started but keeping my mouth on his tip for now. I could always work up to taking more of him in sometime in the future.

With my mouth sucking lightly on his tip and my hand moving and squeezing, Edward steadily works up to his orgasm, futilely trying to push me away. I stubbornly suck harder until his salty texture fills my mouth and Edward's chest is heaving, a small amount of sweat worked into his hairline.

I move to lay beside him, my head resting on his chest and my eyes closed, the day washing over me and leaving me absolutely exhausted. I yawn as Edward's arms work around me.

When I wake up, there is a jolt in my stomach - a certain awareness that sobers me completely from the events of the previous night.

Something would happen today. Something big.

Edward an I share secret smiles through a quick breakfast and as we search for a secluded spot in the near area. We've already decided on Ares' bright red pearl and Edward takes particular pleasure in stomping on the jewel. During this transit, we are accosted by feelings of dread and hatred, shaking from the intensity of the emotions of war as the red mist fades away from us.

Immediately, I recognize our location in the center of a maze of eroding stone and moss-covered dirt, knowing beyond the gate ahead of us is the bloodiest entertainment arena history has ever known. This is the first quest where we have been in Italy - Rome, specifically.

The ball of dread that had made a pit in my stomach solidifies while the bond screams in alarm at the sudden roaring beyond the gate. One thing is certain; no mammal could make that sound.

And yet, I feel a sense of camaraderie from the beast hidden from my view. I _want _to meet it.

Ignoring Edward's cautious hand on my shoulder, I move closer to the gate, pushing it open and moving into the Colosseum before me. The sand is still stained with the blood of past battles and standing on top of that history is a beast I instantly recognize, even as all of it's huge red eyes lock with mine.

The Lerneaan Hydra is massive, all nine heads hissing and puffing smoke and fire, it's scales smooth and multi-colored on the edges while the centers remain coal black. Simultaneously, the heads tense and the mouths open and the Hydra moves into an attack. Just as it aims fire at me, Edward pulls me behind a partially collapsed stone wall, pressing me against it, the bond blaring panic.

"Are you insane?" he says harshly, pressing me closer to the wall as the flames continue to beat against the stone.

I shake my head and look at Edward's hard eyes, his clenched jaw. I let my gloved hand press against his face. "It's fine," I tell him, squeezing through the narrow space between his body and the wall. I quickly undo the buckles of my sheath and drop my sword onto the ground, stepping into the open to face the Hydra.

Edward's fingers clutch at empty space as I step closer, my eyes focused on the Hydra as it huffs steam at me; my hand slowly reaching up in front of me towards the beast. My hand is steady and my gut is prodding me along, reassuring me of my instinctual need to be closer, to calm this animal.

The second my hand makes contact with the center head, memories sweep through me and I know the Hydra is re-living my life as well. I learn about the Hyrda's time in the Underworld, guarding the gates and Hades himself, feeling the Hydra's devotion to my father and it's sadness when it had to leave due to reasons it did not understand. The Hydra had been nearly docile with Hades, fiercely protective of the God when warranted.

And the Hydra could see Hades in me - even felt that loyalty towards me as the beast completely calmed down, it's eyes closing as the center head pushes into my palm.

I stroke down it's nose, smiling when one head pushes against my other hand and a mouth lets it's tongue slither out to lick at my face.

"Bella?"

I turn back to Edward, find his anxious expression hilarious in such a non-threatening moment. Of course, I understood what he was feeling - it wasn't everyday that he saw his girlfriend approach a nine-headed dragon. "It's fine," I smile at him.

Still, Edward doesn't lose his overly cautious expression though the Hydra behaves like a contented kitten as we discuss the next pearl we should choose. We hadn't done two quests in a day on the journey so far but as we hadn't had to fight the Hydra, we reasoned that we would be able to pull off another transition.

Zeus' silvery blue pearl shines innocently at us. Edward wraps me in his arms and I hold tightly onto the Hydra's center head as Edward stomps on the pearl. We were taking a gamble on the power of the pearl but it seemed to have no problems transporting two Gods and a giant beast to a smooth marble room. Huge pillars block out much of the sun though the clouds are thick beyond the room we are in.

Staring down at us is a bronze and marble statue of Zeus himself, seated upon his throne in the middle of this temple. And in his hand is a pulsing thunderbolt, all too real and clearly not a part of the original sculpture.

And Edward is blankly looking at the thunderbolt, feelings of need and longing rushing through the bond and I understand immediately.

This is the something big that was supposed to happen today - not that the taming of the Hydra wasn't a major event, but this was Edward's purpose in this entire journey. I recovered my helm - or, rather, crown - of invisibility; it was time Edward owned his own thunderbolt.

But just as he takes a step towards his father's statue, half a dozen fairly large Minotaurs step out from behind the pillars, crude swords and battered armor gleaming in the low light.

Edward didn't notice.

The Hydra did, curling its tail around me and Edward and breathing a ring of fire between us, the Minotaurs and the statue. Edward fought out of the Hydra's hold, leaping towards the statue, somehow missing the dwindling flames. I bit my lip as I watched him carefully climb towards his thunderbolt, tensing when a Minotaur begins to follow him.

My sword is out and swinging towards the beast before I can even think of stopping myself, the blade slicing easily through the Minotaur's fur and eliciting a low roar of pain; I stab the Minotaur through the heart, bringing my sword up through it's chest and forcing the blade through it's neck, effectively decapitating it.

The Hydra is on the same wavelength, slashing it's claws at the Minotaurs while some of the heads make a quick meal of the beasts; my Hydra moves with easy grace, flame and smoke and screaming in the air.

Feeling protected by my Hydra, I look back to Edward who has finally reached the thunderbolt - he grabs it greedily and instantly, his entire body glows bright iridescent silver, the thunderbolt absorbing into his muscles and tissue.

Edward's eyes - a steady, opalescent green-silver - lock with mine, the bond chorusing with joy and lust and wholeness. He jumps from Zeus' hand, a terrifying height, landing on his feet with ease.

We stand in the now empty temple with my Hydra - who seems sated for the moment - with charged energy pulsing between us. "Are you alright?" I manage to breathe out, my hands trembling around the hilt of my sword.

Edward grins lazily. "Never been better." Then he shifts his gaze to the Hydra standing behind me and moves to stroke his hand across the beast's snout. "Thanks for protecting her," he tells it.

Our last quest is Poseidon's in Egypt, near the Lighthouse of Alexandria. Truth be told, it is the easiest one - Sirens that needed to be terminated as they were killing far too many fishermen.

Edward doesn't have a problem ignoring them though it is ironic that the easies quest is also our last one.

We decide not to linger - our journey is done, both of us having gained the experience, the valuable tokens and a new ally in the process.

I find myself longing for a mattress and warm blankets and soft cotton clothes though it seems to have been ages since I've experienced any of those things. I wonder how much time has passed in Olympus while we were completing our journey - days, hours, _years_? Or did time move along at our pace; we'd been gone for a little over a week.

The pristine white pearl that returns us home is slightly larger than the others had been and, with my arms around my Hydra and Edward's arms around me, I stomp on the treasure, relishing in the accomplishment of the once daunting task our quests had been.

I'd assumed that the white pearl would transport us to the place we had initially left but as the mist clears, Edward's - rather Hera's - safe house is the first sight we are greeted to. I didn't think it was possible for a building to look so inviting.

Removing my arms from my Hydra, I step towards the house, Edward's arm moving to rest comfortably on my waist. I look back at my beast, reaching out a hand to touch the center head; the other heads gently nudge me in the direction of the beach cabin, urging me towards shelter while it's wings flap, preparing for flight.

I panic for a moment - not wanting my Hydra to depart - but the center head pushes against my hand again, assuring me in it's own way that it will return to me.

The Hydra waits until Edward and I are safely in the house before it soars into the air, leaving behind huge clouds of sand from the sheer power of it's wings.

Immediate needs of hygiene and sustenance are met quietly in the safe house, Edward and I mutually flooding the bond with peace. We fall into a bed early, before the sun fully sets, and sleep deeply, my head on his chest.

I wake to a slamming door.

I can only assume that my God-instincts are still very much awake as I bolt up from the bed, landing into a low crouch with my hand on the hilt of my sword. Edward reacts similarly, falling easily into a familiar fighting stance in front of me with small orbs of electricity in his open palms.

We listen, waiting for another sound.

Laughter filters through the walls. Familiar laughter. More than one person, too.

A quick rapping on the door interrupts the confusion that was beginning to seep into the bond. "Are you lovebirds going to come out any time soon?" Emmett bellows with a deep chuckle.

Edward and I drop the tension from out bodies; I open the door and am engulfed in a bear hug from a very enthusiastic - and loud - son of Apollo. He greets Edward in an identical way, throwing so many winks at Edward that Emmett's face seems to have taken on a twitch. I was no fool; I knew exactly why Emmett was winking.

That over-sized, teddy-bear pervert.

Emmett enthusiastically leads us to the main room where Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, Esme and a man I hadn't met wait for us. The man is fair with smoothed back blonde hair and an easy smile on his very handsome face; he looks a lot like Jasper.

Carlisle was Jasper' brother, a son of Athena and a mortal man who seemed to posses some ability of peace-making - at least, he somehow managed to stop me from hitting Emmett, who hadn't stopped making innuendo, with just one look. I supposed his talent was much like Rosalie's in a way.

Out little group was eager to learn about all of our tales, Carlisle in particular wanting to know about the beasts we encountered and how my Hydra had reacted to my touch. Esme explained in a laugh that Carlisle fancied himself a scientist of sorts - it was fairly obvious to me, given his very intense curiosity.

"Where's Amynta?" I ask when Edward and I have finished regaling our tales.

Alice grins slowly. "She's learning some tricks from her father. And yours."

"How do you mean?"

"It seems that Amynta has been taken under Cerberus and Hades' wing. She's learning new tricks."

It hadn't occurred to me that Amynta could do other things besides teleportation - which she was getting better at - and sensing immediate danger. I wondered how she would feel about my Hydra should the beast decide to show up out of the blue.

Through the bond, I notice Edward's mood shifting to a familiar one-track seriousness that wasn't unlike his focus when he was sparring or kissing me. "Do the Gods know we are back?"

Jasper nods reluctantly and my guard shoots up. "They sent us to retrieve you, actually."

"When do we need to appear?"

Jasper shifts in his seat, glancing at Alice before he answers. "As soon as possible."

And that is how we end up in the large throne room that held the most important Gods and their children. The ornate room was decorated with crystal and fine foods, the powers in the room positively pulsing against each other.

"So they have returned," Zeus bellows, his voice almost sounding proud though I had learned not to trust him. Edward had told stories of Zeus, stories that weren't covered by the mythology we learned in school. He could truly be a monster.

"Father," Edward says monotonously. I remain silent, locking eyes with my own parents as they stand around Hades' throne.

"My son," Zeus' voice is warm, cloying even. "I trust you have recovered the prize I left you at my temple."

Just at the mention of the thunderbolt, Edward's side of the bond explodes with excitement though he is careful to keep his face perfectly trained. "Yes, Father. Thank you."

Zeus turns his eyes to me, his gaze cutting through me; Edward struggles not to put himself between me and his father. "And you, fearsome child. You also gained a few tokens on this journey."

By this time, the hall had quieted and every eye was on the three of us. "Yes." I answer simply.

"And you've come to gain the trust of a Lerneaan Hydra."

Several gasps and murmurs echo through the room as I again answer in the affirmative. It wasn't until this moment that I realize how rare it was to connect to a Hydra.

And it had come so natural to me.

Zeus's face breaks out into a tense smile that would look genuine to untrained eyes. "What an unusual development," he comments, sitting down on his electric throne.

"Isabella," Hades calls, stepping away from Persephone with his arms open wide, a grin on his face. Warmth fills me as I accept a hug from my father - it was nice having a paternal figure that actually cared about my wellbeing. "How is the helm?"

I smile brightly. "Magnificent."

Several other Gods greet and congratulate Edward and I before we depart. As much as I liked knowing that Hades cared for me, Zeus and Ares made me increasingly uncomfortable and I was just as eager as Edward to get out of that room.

When we exit the building, Edward and I find ourselves in the center of Olympus, the four distinct districts clearly merging in this one area with the foggy sidewalks meeting up with electric stone and tiny streams of water built into the ground. The city was fascinating in its make-up - seemingly magical features that make the most marveling cities in the human world pale in comparison.

"I think Hades' finally completed my city apartment," I tell Edward, fighting the urge to blush as the implications of my words hit me.

Edward grins at my embarrassment and tosses a lecherous grin out, leering at me and speaking in a decidedly husky tone. "Let's go see it, shall we?"

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><p><strong>AN: i give you...a chapter for the holidays. personally, i celebrate Christmas and i thought it would be an awesome present for my wonderful readers if i could finish chapter 20.**

**wow. 20 chapters. we've come far, haven't we? we've battled beasts and we've run away from delicious boys and we've discovered a lot about the world around us. and yet, i have promises of more to come - we're looking forward to another near-death experience, a kidnapping, a ball and much more!**

**the next chapter should be out around new years!**

**big cookies and hugs to the first reviewer of the last chapter, _cbmorefie _- yes, Godward is sexy. if only he was real...**

**now, since it is the holiday season, i have a few jokes!**

_A Jewish Santa Claus came down the chimney and said: "Anyone want to buy a present?"_

_Just before Christmas, an honest politician, a generous lawyer and Santa Claus saw $20 on the ground. Which one picked it up? Santa of course, because the other two don't exist!_

_Did you hear about the dyslexic devil worshipper? He sold his soul to Santa. _

_Christmas Cards for the Psychiatrically Challenged:_

_SCHIZOPHRENIA: Do You Hear What I Hear?_

_MULTIPLE PERSONALITY DISORDER: We Three Kings Disoriented Are_

_DEMENTIA: I Think I'll Be Home For Christmas_

_NARCISSISTIC: Hark, the Herald Angels Sing About Me _

_PARANOID: Santa Claus Is Coming To Get Me_

_Dearest Santa, _

_We don't have a chimney in our house, how do you get into our home? _

_Love, Marky_

_Mark,_

_Firstly, stop calling yourself "Marky"; that's why you're getting your ass beat at school. Secondly, you don't live in a house - that's a low-rent apartment complex you're living in. Thirdly, I get inside your pad just like all the burglars do...through your bedroom window. Sweet Dreams! _

_Santa_

**is it just me, or do the most offensive jokes also happen to be the funniest?**

**as always, be brutally honest. i can take it.**

**~cupcakeriot**


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: i do not own Twilight - i do own some awesome cinnamon sugar cookies with sliced almonds. yummy.**

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><p><strong>chapter twenty one<strong>

"_Life being what it is, one dreams of revenge."_

_Paul Gauguin _

**Edward**

Bella's city apartment provided by Hades is built in a sleek silver and black glass building in the center of the Death District where several of Hades' men guard the structure with their life. Inside, her apartment is fairly stream-lined with grey leather sofas and white furniture with glass in-lays and dark floors. The windows are clean sheets of tinted glass, large and giving a whole view of the District below.

We'd gone to bed feeling relieved that our tests were finally over and we could move on with our life - I definitely had plans for Bella and I in the near future. When I slipped off into sleep, it was deep and dreamless.

I woke up alone and realized that my relief was both foolish and short-lived.

Bella was nowhere in the apartment.

And based on the clear signs of struggle from her side of the bed to the broken glass and lamps and torn curtains all the way to her front door, Bella didn't disappear willingly.

Panic rushed through me and it felt like my heart was made of ice. The bond seemed to be lethargic and I knew instinctively that Bella had been drugged.

"Shit," I whisper brokenly into the silence around me. The heat gathering under my eyes gives away my need to cry but I hold it back, instead reaching for my phone and calling Jasper.

Soon enough, though a series of escalating phone calls, Hades - along with a few other Gods who were interested in Bella's well being for one reason or another - arrives at the apartment. I don't think I've ever seen someone so distraught - and I was sure my face was an exact reflection of Hades'.

This is when the desperate search for my Bella begins, the pain radiating from our muffled bond pushing me forward.

We would find her.

And I would destroy whoever took her from me.

**Isabella**

My mind felt like it was swimming in murky circles, coming back again and again to the strange disconnect from my body - I couldn't feel my lips or my arms or my toes but they weren't numb. They just didn't feel…there. Like they'd disappeared.

In fact, the only thing my mind registered were my own confused thoughts - I heard nothing, smelt nothing, felt no cold or hot sensations. I was also quickly losing the minimal lucidity that I was hanging onto.

Even fighting against it, I faded back into blackness.

When I woke next, I was aware of many sensations - I was lying on a cold, hard and gritty surface, something scratchy against my face, my hands tied behind my back and my mind absolutely foggy.

One thing was glaringly clear - I was not with Edward.

Immediately, I begin to struggle against the bindings on my hands and, as it turns out, my feet. I hear a dark chuckle from above me and force my eyes open.

James's sneering face greets me, his eyes frosty and unfocused. Could a Demi-God go mad?

I shrink in on myself, automatically twisting my hands and finding that my gloves had been duck tapped to my skin. There was no possible way that I was getting out of this any time soon.

"Sleeping Beauty finally woke up," James shouts over his shoulder.

My mind, though foggy, snapped up that piece of information. James was not alone - someone had helped him with this. But why? What was the point in harming me? I hadn't truly made any enemies since arriving in Olympus a few months ago.

"Good," a sickly sweet voice intones, the slow clicking of heels moving closer to where I am on the ground. "I wouldn't want my sister to miss her own death."

Sister?

My stomach drops and I feel bile rising up in my throat - a reaction from the drugs, I hoped.

It wasn't too far-fetched to believe Hades had more than one child; though, I had to assume that he fathered children far less often than Zeus. But, if that voice was truly my sister, why is she doing this? Kidnapping me? Insinuating killing me? Working with James?

I had a feeling I'd be getting plenty of answers soon enough.

**Edward**

The pain radiating through my body started in the tenth our of Isabella missing. I knew instantly what it was; just like the starving she'd put herself through all those months ago, the bond was copying her pain and transferring it to my body again.

It was almost unbearable.

What hurt more than the aching developing in my ribs, back, arms and head was the knowledge that someone was also making Bella suffer this pain - in fact, someone was enjoying beating her.

Jasper caught my arm when I staggered back from a particularly painful blow over the center of my chest, causing me to cough and gasp for my air. Hades was the first to react, grabbing onto my arms and demanding information from me.

It hadn't ever occurred to me to mention the bond between Bella and I before then. Athena latched onto the idea as soon as it tumbled from my mouth, ordering me to tap into the pain, really give into the ghost sensations wracking my body.

I looked at her incredulously until she explained to me that I could use the bond to track Bella.

After that, moving our group into the darkest parts of the Demi-God district was easy. I knew with absolute certainty that we were getting closer and closer to where Bella was hidden as the pain over my body grew more and more intense.

Closer wasn't close enough.

**Isabella**

"You see, I'm much older than you. Much, much older. This is the second time I've been passed over as heir for Hades. I won't let it happen again." The voice of my sister is growing more intense the longer she continues on her tirade.

Between her brief pauses of explanation for drugging me and kidnapping me in the middle of the night, James has been gleefully beating me into the hard floor of whatever building we're in.

Based on the abandoned boxes and the fine layer of dust and dirt on the miniscule surfaces. Somehow, my sister - Victoria - fit in with this setting despite her perfectly symmetrical face that was nearly a carbon copy of Persephone's.

"Your gifts are that much greater than mine," she tells me, running a finger from my forehead down my nose. "I talk to dead things - you just kill them." Victoria sighs, bored, and stands back up.

James lands a kick right to my stomach and I hold back the gasp that wants to escape.

"I have to kill you sister. I killed Laurent, too. He was raised in France, raised all kinds of hell with these poisonous plants he could conjure up. Really, the perfect balance between our Mommy and Daddy, don't you think? But you would have surpassed him too, I think. Hades thinks you have more talents that we don't even know about yet." She stops, smirking deviously, wiggling her fingers at me. "I think he's just being hopeful - you're nothing without your gloves. Stupid."

James's foot pushes me onto my front, his heavy boots stomping on the rope ties around my wrist; I hear my left wrist bone crack and tears spring into my eyes.

But the pain seems to trigger something in me - I can feel the swirling tattoos on my arms growing over my body, moving quickly and rising up from my skin, hovering over my broken wrist and searing the rope and tape from my hands. I don't stop to consider the very sudden development as the swirls bind themselves around my most pressing injuries and seem to bury the pain beneath the surface of my skin.

James curses and moves back, Victoria moving with him with her eyes wide, staring at me with something akin to horror.

I breath deeply as my gloves simmer off my hands, the ice I'm used to feeling turning into searing heat. My hands seem to glow a subtle silver as James, who doesn't seem to have all of his marbles in order, rushes towards me, clearly intent on using his Arena skills on me.

But Andre trained me too. In fact, Andre and Rhea took great lengths at teaching me how to defend myself and now that I had my gift at my disposal, I had every intention of using it to my advantage.

I catch James's fist with my bare hand, watching as his skin seems to immediately drain of moisture and color - he becomes nothing but bones in less than ten seconds, leaving me with Victoria and a crumbling skeleton.

It is just as I step towards Victoria that the door on the far side of the room bursts open, a frazzled Edward and an enraged Hades stalking into the room, taking in the bones at my feet and my sister who had begun to cower against the wall.

I make no indication that I plan to stop, my gift still thirsty for the one person who had orchestrated this entire ordeal - and now that I think about it, the matches at the Arena probably had a lot to do with Victoria.

Hades watches with heavy, wise eyes as I step towards Victoria.

Edward stands straighter, his face void of emotion but our bond, which I could suddenly feel, blazing with approval.

Victoria faces the same fate as James.

And I prove to several Gods just how formidable my gift is.

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><p><strong>AN: chapter 21 done - i think that there are three more chapters left - including the epilogue. wow. almost done. this chapter was short because...well, i didn't want to linger on Bella being kidnapped and all that. it was a tough decision as a writer to go through with this chapter but, it's done and it's been planned from the beginning. the next three or so (not completely sure, might be more, might be less) should be...well, fluffy, happy times with a few answered questions. **

**if you have a questions about anything in the story thus far - a detail that still doesn't make sense - please ask. the answer will either show up in a PM from me or in the next chapter...**

**shout out to two new readers who kind of blew me away with their fantastic reviews - **

_nicola gill_**, thanks for calling my story a book! **

_BMSCullen_**, you've officially coined Godella! **

_MariaLorenzen_**, who enjoys my universe, which is super awesome. **

_stupidlamb2010_**, who reviewed several chapters as she read along and that just made me smile! **

**AND the first reviwer of the last chapter, **_brittany86_**, who reminded me of my New Years promise - without you, this chapter might have been given a day later!**

**that said, Happy New Year everyone! may 2012 be the year the world doesn't end! cheers! now, for some New Years jokes that make me giggle!**

You have a New Years Hangover if...You set aside an entire afternoon to spend some quality time with your toilet.

You have a New Years Hangover if...You'd rather chew tacks than be exposed to sunlight.

To kick start my New Year, I took an IQ test and the results were negative.

You have a New Years Hangover if...You get it into your head that chirping birds are the Devil's pets.

You have a New Years Hangover if...You replace the traditional "praying on your knees" with the more feasible "praying in a fetal position".

You have a New Years Hangover if...Your new response to "Good morning," is "Be quiet!"

You have a New Years Hangover if...Your catch phrase is, "Never again."

**as always, be brutally honest. i can take it.**

**~cupcakeriot**


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight - I do own some simple chocolate chip cookies. Who knew simple could be so amazing?**

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><p><strong>chapter twenty two<strong>

"_Royalty consists not in vain pomp, but in great virtues"_

_Agesilaus _

**Isabella**

The weeks following were heavy with accusations, politics and a growing hunger.

Ares accused Hades and I of staging my kidnapping so that James would be somehow caught in the crossfire. His desperate-grief stricken theory fell flat when several Demi-Gods and Gods set complaints against James for being slanderous, malicious, sadistic in his Arena fights and photo-proof of his meetings with my dead sister.

Victoria hadn't shown any signs of bearing ill will towards me, according to her closest friends and Persephone - who was fairly close to Victoria, closer than I would ever be to my mother, at least. Victoria had acted wonderfully, fooling everyone she knew; which is why she also limited her contact with me, I suppose. Her real intentions would have revealed themselves had she been around me.

Edward confirmed that he saw Victoria at the Arena debacle - he hadn't thought anything of it because he couldn't place her face.

Victoria was very careful.

But she didn't account for a bond she didn't know about or Edward's complete devotion to me.

The night I killed Victoria and Ares was also the night that Esme and Alice - who had developed a healing ability through water - restored my bruised body to full health. When I saw the extent of my injuries in the mirror, I was surprised I summoned up the energy to protect myself at the very end - the bleeding inside my body should have knocked me unconscious along with the blows to my head.

When the rumors and wild accusations were cleared up, Zeus took over, initiating several Olympus politics.

It turns out that James had a younger brother, Riley, who was named Ares heir; Riley was very even-tempered, nearly docile in relation to James.

The next heir formally named was Edward. His ceremony was simple, his new gold and silver crown nestled in a safe somewhere in his apartment. Edward was Zeus' first heir in history.

My own ceremony was to be far more complicated than Riley and Edward's - mostly, though, because Alice wanted to plan mine to get an idea of how she wanted hers done and Alice was nothing if not a perfectionist. So far, I had only had a say in what dress I was supposed to wear.

I couldn't be too concerned with the coronation though.

My mind was occupied - and worried - about the growing hunger I had, the icy head searing far past my hands every other day or so. The curse that others thought of as a gift had never been so aggressive in it's appetite. Fighting against the hunger left me exhausted, in bed and sick to my stomach which made the gift hungrier which started the process all over again.

Edward had taken to staying with me, trying in vain to keep me hydrated and fed while I suffered through random bouts of fever, thick wool gloves reaching past my elbows firmly attached to my body.

I had been sustaining myself on plant-life and I hadn't ever though about what human life would do to me. The fullness I felt immediately after killing James and Victoria was nothing compared to the half-sated state I was used to existing in. It was so much better - addicting, even.

It was horrible.

I was beginning to feel pain radiating through my entire body and - upon feeling this through the bond - Edward barged through my room, throwing my blankets off of me and hovering over my shivering body.

"You're starving," he states coldly, concern leaking through his icy tone through the bond, love shining deep in his eyes.

Edward reaches for my right glove but I weakly snatch my hand away.

"I can help!"

"No," I say stubbornly, looking away from him, knowing I'm weaker when I see his perfect face. "You can't. And even if you could…I would kill you, Edward."

Lips press against my cheek near my ear. "That's just it. You can't kill me."

"What?"

Edward shifts to lay beside me, pushing my hair off my face. "Our gifts cancel out, remember?"

I did remember - but it was a fluke, a one time thing. "You're not a battery." I mutter.

"Damnit, Bella!"

I open my eyes, startled and confused as I didn't remember closing them. Edward is sitting up, breathing heavily and pulling at his hair, obviously have trouble controlling his emotions from his outburst.

"Let me just try," he begs, water building up in his eyes.

Stupidly, I hadn't realized how this would effect him - Edward could feel everything I could and added to that, he couldn't bear the thought of me not feeding my gift. In all actuality, it was much like holding my breath for a prolonged amount of time.

"I promise," he starts, leaning towards me as he can feel that he's finally convincing me. "I swear, I'll pull away if it gets to be too much."

Reluctantly, I allow him to shed my gloves and take my hands.

We both marvel at the soft silver light emanating from our joined hands - my gift feeding off the pure energy Edward produced with his. I feel my body warming, returning to a natural temperature while the ice in my hands fades until all I can feel are Edward's hands gripping my own.

"I love you," he says. I finally begin to realize how much.

Edward's energy keeps my gift sated for nearly a week; Edward's presence keeps me company as he is hesitant to leave me.

He is keeping a secret from me the day before my coronation - he seems fidgety and nervous though he's quick to assure me nothing is wrong.

While he is gone, Alice comes to my apartment carrying garment bags and a very large folder. Without a greeting to me she begins to take out various papers from her over-flowing folder, leaving me very confused by my kitchen entrance where I had been making a sandwich before she made herself at home.

"Hi, Alice." I say wryly, going back to finish preparing my food.

"No time for talking!" She calls back to me, pausing for a second before I hear a clatter and the pounding of determined feet on my hardwood coming towards me. "What are you doing? There's no time for eating!"

"So, I can't talk or eat?"

"Right!"

I wait for a beat, chewing on a bite of my sandwich. "You're talking…"

"I'm allowed to talk! Hurry up, we have things to go over."

I finish my food quickly, not wanting to upset a seriously deranged Alice. I knew she'd been obsessing over this entire ordeal for her own reasons so I hadn't expected her to be so intense about mine.

Alice wastes no time going over every detail that she has planned out before pushing all of the garment bags at me, insisting I try on my gown, shoes and ceremonial robe one last time before the big event.

The gown is beautiful, of course; ice-grey satin stitched with ivy details over the corset-like bodice, layers and layers of silk and satin in the same color making up the slightly flowing skirt which was cut in such a way that the back hem flared with a small train. A transparent lace overlay rested on the satin skirt, matching the elbow-length gloves made of the same lace pattern.

The ceremonial robe was black and silver, soft and light though it was large and fashioned like a overly-large cape. It had symbols representing Hades sewn across the back and complimented my gown perfectly, as I'm sure Alice had planned.

I place everything back in the garment bags and carefully hang them in my closet before returning to Alice, assisting her in packing up her tiny mountain of papers. As she leaves, she repeatedly reminds me of the time I need to be at Hades mansion - a large structure outside of the city and near the ancient entrance of the Underworld.

Edward arrives home around the same time Alice leaves and after a quick meal, we spend the remainder of our night kissing and talking.

Morning arrives slowly, the hours winding nerves up in my stomach as I pace around my room, meticulously setting out various beauty products that I had never felt the need to use. I shower, ensuring that every inch of my skin is hairless and soft, and quickly blow-dry my hair until it falls into it's short, natural straightness. A quick swipe of mascara, eye shadow and lip gloss and I am out the door with a handsomely dressed Edward at my side.

My nerves are crawling up my throat despite Edward's near constant stream of serenity through the bond.

We separate once at Hades home as I leave to get ready, barely taking in the elegant black and white flowers, twinkling lights and silver-foggy throne that looks to be around a size that would fit me perfectly.

Just before the ceremony begins, Hades comes to escort me down to his throne room, smiling softly at my extravagant gown and ceremonial robe.

A hush fills the large room as Hades walks me towards my throne, Persephone waiting beside the ornate chair holding a black velvet pillow with a delicate tiara resting in the center.

My ceremony is quiet and quick much like Edward's though much, much more planning had gone into mine. By the time Hades has bestowed me with an essence of his power and the platinum, opal and onyx tiara is placed on my head, I feel sure in my right to be heir. My nerves are completely erased as I feel a rush of power flow through me - not my gift power, but the power of the Underworld recognizing me as second in line, second in control.

The night goes by in a haze of well-wishing and secret, excited smiles from Alice and Edward.

Instead of returning to one of our city apartments, Edward takes me to his mother's safe house.

To say I was stunned at the seemingly thousand lit tea candles set around the bed room would be an understatement.

I turn easily to Edward, having left my ceremonial robe with Alice, and hold in the shocked gasp waiting to leave my throat.

With the single most tender expression I had ever seen on his face, Edward kneels before me with one hand outstretched, holding out a simple silver and white diamond ring nestled in a satin box.

"Marriage is a very human tradition," he begins, his voice wavering ever so slightly from the emotions that are clearly on his face, in his eyes. "But you have grown up in the human realm and I would love nothing more than to embrace you in this way, to complete the ways we have embraced each other already. Gods aren't supposed to believe in soul mates but I know - I knew from the second I saw you - that you are it for me. I love you, Bella. Will you-"

"Yes," I say immediately, not even letting him finish.

Elation squeals through the bond as the ring is placed on my finger.

It is as if our minds are connected as we begin to shed our clothes, Edward hovering over me on the large bed, both of us completely uncovered as we caress and kiss each other.

"It will hurt," Edward says, stroking my inner thighs and causing them to clench around his hips.

I nod, knowing this and encouraging him to move forward. "I've never wanted anything more in my entire life."

Slowly, Edward pushes in, pausing when he comes across resistance. Not wanting to prolong the inevitable, I thrust my hips up, taking him all the way in as pain sears through my center, my nails digging into his shoulders.

Still, being with him in this way, his bare chest rubbing against mine as he slowly maneuvers his hips in a hypnotic, soothing pattern, is like nothing I had ever experienced or expected. I feel whole, complete, like my soul is merging even more with his.

Eventually, the pain fades and pleasure unlike anything takes over my body, causing my hips to meet flush with his, our moans filling the heavy air around us.

Edward comes suddenly before I do but I can't find it in myself to be disappointed. It was perfect.

He is perfect.

"I love you," I murmur into his messy hair, from where my fingers had twisted into the thick locks.

"I love you."

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><p><strong>AN: so, this was the last official chapter of Gods. i won't bore you all with a long authors note as you have an epilogue to read!**

**shout out to the first review of the last chapter - **_BMSCullen_**, who totally predicted Bella's thirst. notable mentions to **_kiaras-magical-melody_**, who said "I'm also proud to say this chp was the first thing I read this year" (YAY, you made me smile) and the all-too-kind **_nicola gill_ **who's review almost made me cry tears of joy!**

**as always, be brutally honest.**

**~cupcakeriot**


	23. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: i do not own Twilight - i do own the sad but accomplished feeling in my chest right about now**

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><p><strong>Epilogue<strong>

I stopped aging when I was nineteen, right after Edward and I married; he continued to grow older until he was twenty four. Our gifts began to round out though I still had occasional bouts of starving hunger that only Edward could cure.

Less than a decade later, we had our first child, a darling girl named Lisbeth who had the oddest power of restoring life - far greater than healing as she eventually learned how to bring things back from the dead. It was a curious mix of her parents gifts but one that allowed her a balanced life without gloves. She took after her father in nearly every way.

Edward and I stayed near Olympus, preferring the quiet of the country side as we went about our lives.

We had yet to come across a time when we needed to truly assert our influence as heirs but with the rising conflict between yet another half-son of Ares and a half-daughter of Apollo, we knew our peace was soon coming to a close.

There was a brief time when Hades had to step down for a week a few years ago to tend to a dispute in the Underworld and I had to take over the throne - it was surprising to me that I actually enjoyed the responsibility.

Though, I had to hope that I would not have to take that position again for another few decades.

I had a feeling our next child would be a boy.

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><p><strong>AN: and the story comes to a close - short and sweet.**

**it's been a great journey with all of you and i am truly thankful to have such awesome people reading my silly little story - people who even put me on favorite story lists and author alerts and who just...rock. seriously, all of you deserve some kind of super duper mega fun prize for sticking with me through this.**

_BriLovesToRead_ **asked if there will be a sequel to Gods...well, i really don't know right now. i have many other ideas rolling around in my head and i'd like to get started on them but maybe one day i'll come back to Gods, flesh it out with a Gods II.**

_BriLovesToRead_** also asked if i was going to write other stories. yes. yes i will. in fact, if you're interested, put me on author alert as i should have something out in the next couple of weeks.**

**i really have nothing left to say. i'm open to any PM's for any reason - questions, comments, concerns?**

**it was brutally honest. and i took it.**

**~cupcakeriot**


	24. Chapter 24

_Edward_

"Lisbeth, flowers that are in vases are supposed to die."

"But Mommy-"

Bella raises a single brow to our daughter, rubbing her swollen stomach slowly as Lisbeth relents, taking her hands away from the vase of orchids I had brought to my very pregnant, very sexy wife. She had always been extraordinarily beautiful, but six months pregnant with glowing skin…

My cock had never been so hard.

"Daddy?"

Willing away my erection, I look down to see my tiny God-blooded daughter holding her arms out to me – her sign that she wanted to be picked up.

I hadn't missed too much since her birth but it still hit me, sometimes, how much she grew. I didn't want her to get older.

As I pick up Lisbeth, my eyes meet Bella's just as her face flushes.

And I know what that means.

Suddenly, quality time with my daughter needed to go by faster.

I had a horny wife to see to.

Lisbeth eagerly shows me some of the things she had done during the day, her little voice prattling on until she takes long pauses to yawn. I pick her up and take her to her room, her big-girl bed dead center amongst toys and stuffed animals. We might have been immortal Gods, but Lisbeth was our first child and we were very eager to parent her in a way that we never were.

"Daddy?"

"Hmm?"

I pull the sheets up under her chin, tickling her little sides so she giggles. "Is Mommy gonna have a boy or a girl?"

This was something I wanted to know, too, but Bella was keeping it a heavily guarded secret. "I don't know, angel. It's a surprise."

"I think it should be a boy."

"And why's that?"

"So you won't be lonely with all the girls. Even Amy-ta is a girl."

I smile at my daughters' thoughtfulness – if only she knew how much I loved having my girls around all the time.

Still, a boy with Bella's cheeky grin wouldn't be so bad. Maybe I could take him to the Arena…

No, Bella would kill me.

Lisbeth falls asleep easily, leaving me to my own devices.

I find my wife in our bedroom, laying on the bed completely nude and smiling seductively at me. As if she needed to be seductive at this point.

I turn and lock the door.

And hope that my darling daughter sleeps deeply through her nap because I have no intention of keeping Bella quiet.

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><p><strong>AN: so, i won't be doing outtakes a whole bunch, mostly because it brings me back to characters i've put down but... _Nehnah14_ wante****d to see a God-Daddyward...it's short, but there it is. as for a sequel, after Magnetic, i might look into a sequel - but i make no promises.**

**~cupcakeriot**


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